Xinjiang's autonomous areas fully use power to govern local affairs: white paper

Local residents drink tea and chat at a century-old teahouse of a scenic spot in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- All the autonomous areas in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region fully exercise the power to govern their local affairs, and participate as equals in the administration of state affairs, said a white paper issued on Wednesday.

Since 1979, the People's Congress of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and its standing committee have formulated a total of 669 local regulations, with 161 currently in effect, said the white paper titled "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang," which was issued by the State Council Information Office.