China replaces top Communist boss in Xinjiang region
Han Chinese workers armed with sticks and shovels march through Urumqi, 7 July

China has replaced the most powerful official in its western region of Xinjiang, where ethnic violence left nearly 200 people dead last July.

Wang Lequan, who had served as secretary of the Communist Party in Xinjiang since 1994, was replaced by Zhang Chunxian, state media say.

Mr Wang was appointed to a new post in the Chinese Communist Party.

No reason was given for the move but analysts note there was much public anger over his handling of the riots.

China reported that most of the those killed in the riots were from the Han Chinese community. Order was only restored after soldiers were deployed to the region's main city, Urumqi.

Separatist militants from Xinjiang's mainly Muslim Uighur community have been waging a campaign against Beijing for independence, fuelled by resentment at the mass migration of Han workers to the region in recent years.

Since the 9/11 attacks on the US, China has increasingly portrayed the separatists as auxiliaries of al-Qaeda.

Crackdown

As secretary of the regional Communist Party, Mr Zhang becomes the most powerful figure in Xinjiang.

Wang Lequan, former secretary of the Communist Party for Xinjiang, in a photo from 2003
Wang Lequan incurred the anger of fellow Han Chinese in Xinjiang