The armed police contingent in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been elevated in status to highlight its greater role in the fight against terror and maintain social stability in the region, Xinhua learned Friday.

The Central Military Commission decision to promote the the level of the Xinjiang armed police contingent "from the deputy corps command to the full corps command" was intended to better safeguard national security and social stability, according to Thursday's Xinjiang Daily seen here Friday.

Yu Linxiang, Political Commissar of the People's Armed Police Forces (PAPF) announced the promotion at a meeting on Tuesday, local media said.

The promotion was "an important decision" made out of the consideration of safeguarding national security, social stability and maintaining long-term peace and stability in Xinjiang, Yu was quoted as saying.

Yu urged the Xinjiang contingent to take the opportunity to improve itself so as to build "a politically reliable, mighty and well-disciplined army", which could be fully trusted by the party, government and all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Dai Sujun was appointed commander of the contingent and Hou Xiaoqin was Political Commissar.

Xinjiang Communist Party of China (CPC) chief Wang Lequan praised the contingent for its excellent performance in recent years in safeguarding internal security, handling emergencies and fighting against terror, especially in securing the celebrations of the region's 50th founding anniversary in 2005 and the 2008 Olympics.

The PAPF is charged with the task of safeguarding national security, maintaining social stability and ensuring that the people live and work in peace and contentment.

As a component of China's armed forces and subordinate to the State Council, the PAPF is under the dual leadership of the State Council and the Central Military Commission. The PAPF has a total force of 660,000.

On Aug. 4, a terrorist attack in the western city of Kashi of Xinjiang killed 16 policemen and injured 16 others outside the gate of the Kashi border police division.

Merely six days later, a string of explosions in supermarkets, hotels and government buildings rocked the region's Kuqa county, killing a security guard and a civilian and injuring two police, two civilians and another security guard.

Police said that in the first half of this year alone, five terrorist groups were cracked in Xinjiang and 82 suspected terrorists detained.

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2008)