Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for 'nets spreading from the earth to the sky,' to defend against terrorist threats in northwestern region of Xinjiang. He said that long-term stability was the main goal for the region.

President Xi calls for anti-terrorism 'nets' in Xinjiang

Xi made the remarks at the second central work conference on Xinjiang on Thursday. The meeting was held in the wake of a series of deadly terrorist attacks in the region.

The latest attack took place on May 20 at an open air market in the regional capital Urumqi. The attack killed 39 people and injured 94 others. Xi identified a series of measures to ease religious tensions. He advocated protecting local customs and legal religious activities, cracking down on those that are illegal and extreme, and guarding against infiltration.