I deeply appreciate Robert Burns' article “Why Wasn’t I Told About Xinjiang Years Ago?” of 31 August concerning the low profile of Xinjiang's situation. The article is absolutely accurate and he is right that nothing will happen until there are changes in Beijing.
Beijing is in a very different situation now, than it has been for the previous 60 years. China is now on top of the world economically. It is highly desirous of seeing its currency replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency. It is highly desirous of spreading its economic influence about the world. Until recently that was not conceivable. Now it is and I believe China would go a long way to see that through. Independence for either Tibet or Xinjiang is probably beyond what China is willing to grant. However, serious changes in human rights issues and granting of real autonomy may well come with sufficient outside pressure.
I am very sorry that President Nixon granted recognition to China in 1971. Without that recognition, China may well have collapsed the way the USSR did. But now China's desire to be a serious economic power may well be another carrot to extend to them. It wasn't there before.
Bob Goode
Kingman, AZ, USA
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