The Chinese government on Monday celebrated the 60th founding anniversary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC).

Attended by distinguished officials led by Vice Premier Liu Yandong, the event centered on a visit to XPCC in Xinjiang and included a special gala and other activities.

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The XPCC, or Bingtuan, is a special social organization founded in 1954 under the orders of Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China.

Since then, the XPCC has been an integral part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the country's largest producer of natural gas.

Production, administration and defense are the main functions of the XPCC. For six decades, the organization has had immense contributions to the Xinjiang region.

The Corps was responsible for reclaiming ecological oases from the Gobi desert, modernizing and establishing towns and cities together with the ethnic groups, building agricultural and industrial mining enterprises, and guarding the borders of the areas it is administering.

On Sunday before the celebration, the State Council Information Office released a white paper highlighting XPCC's history and achievements. Titled "History and Development of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps," the white paper said the XPCC is an essential organization in maintaining stability and enhancing border defense.

"It has been China's long-term strategy to give better play to the unique role of the XPCC in maintaining stability and safeguarding the border," the paper said.

Adapting to the demands of the times, China seeks to strengthen the organization by focusing efforts on "forging a top militia" in the country and "building a system of regular rotation training and standby duty." For over 30 years, the XPCC has been combating separatists, religious extremists and terrorists--called the "three forces"--as part of its paramilitary role.

"It must reinforce itself, further its integration with the local society, be devoted to social stability and lasting peace in Xinjiang," said the paper.

The XPCC is under the dual leadership of the central government and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

TagsXPCC 60th anniversary, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Urumqi