China Suspends Visas To Kazakhs For Xinjiang
July 07, 2009
ASTANA -- Chinese and Kazakh officials have agreed to suspend Chinese visas for Kazakhs wishing to visit Xinjiang, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Erzhan Ashikbaev said that those planning to visit China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Province should postpone their trip. He did not elaborate on a time frame for the suspension.
According to Ashikbaev, Kazakh citizens are welcome to visit any other Chinese provinces.
Weekend clashes between ethnic Uyghurs and ethnic Han Chinese in Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, left at least 150 dead and thousands injured and arrested.
Ashikbaev said that there were no Kazakh citizens among the casualties.