So I have been in Xinjiang, specifically Urumqi in 2010, about a year after there were local tensions and riots (I didn’t know about the riots until after I returned home). It was summer and I saw police in full riot gear, in APCs in groups of 10-15 at a time patroling the city. Not roadblocks everywhere, but multiple such patrols. I still felt safe (as a westerner, its super safe).
So there were clear, heavy local tensions. Now you are right about the news we here are obviously one sided. You have to take some critical thoughts about what is likely happening. However inter province travel requires you to present passport when buying a ticket. It’s not really a sign of a free and fair society.
I don’t keep up with internal Chinese politics beyond vaguely being interested in HK, but seeing what happened there you can make a fair assumption that in the mainland things would be harder for folks who don’t fall in line.
So I have been in Xinjiang, specifically Urumqi in 2010, about a year after there were local tensions and riots (I didn’t know about the riots until after I returned home). It was summer and I saw police in full riot gear, in APCs in groups of 10-15 at a time patroling the city. Not roadblocks everywhere, but multiple such patrols. I still felt safe (as a westerner, its super safe).
So there were clear, heavy local tensions. Now you are right about the news we here are obviously one sided. You have to take some critical thoughts about what is likely happening. However inter province travel requires you to present passport when buying a ticket. It’s not really a sign of a free and fair society.
I don’t keep up with internal Chinese politics beyond vaguely being interested in HK, but seeing what happened there you can make a fair assumption that in the mainland things would be harder for folks who don’t fall in line.