China's restive Xinjiang region doubling anti-terror budget following year of attacks

BEIJING – China's restive Xinjiang region is doubling its budget for fighting terrorism following an unusually bloody year of anti-government attacks.

State media said Friday the northwestern region's draft 2014 budget proposes an increase to 2 million yuan ($331,000) for terrorism fighting. That's part of an overall 24 percent rise in the public security budget to 6.1 billion yuan ($1 billion).

The increase follows a series of clashes between authorities and members of Xinjiang's native Turkic Muslim Uighur ethnic group that have left scores dead. Last year's violence also included an unprecedented attack on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing that killed three Uighur assailants and two tourists.

China says the attacks are the work of Uighur separatists inspired by radical Islam. Critics say oppressive Chinese policies and strict religious controls fuel the violence.