Full realization of human rights is one of the great dreams of all hu-manity，and a goal to which the people of China，including those of theethnic groups in Xinjiang，have long aspired.Xinjiang has been home to numerous ethnic groups since remote an-tiquity，and all the groups in the region are closely related members ofthebroader family ofthe Chinese nation. In 60 BC，the Western Han Dynastyset up the Western Regions Frontier Command，and Xinjiang was for-mally incorporated into the territory of China，becoming an integral part ofthis unified multiethnic country.Before the founding of the People's Republic of China （PRC） in 1949，the people of Xinjiang suffered oppression from invading imperial-ist forces，the feudal exploiting class and the privileged religious hierar-chy. At the bottom of the social ladder，they were deprived of basic human rights.In 1949，the Chinese people led by the Communist Party of China （CPC） overthrew the forces of imperialism，feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism，and founded the PRC. The people of Xinjiang，together with the rest of the country，were liberated and became masters of their own country.The PRC regards equality，unity and common prosperity for all ethnic groups as the basic requirements for managing ethnic affairs and handling ethnic relations. It established the system of regional ethnic autonomy in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities in compact commu-nities. By 1954，Xinjiang had established five autonomous prefectures and six autonomous counties. In 1955，the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was founded. The establishment of these autonomous divisions effectively guaranteed the democratic rights of people in Xinjiang to be masters of their own affairs，and started a new era of socialist ethnic re-lations characterized by equality，unity，mutual assistance and harmony.Xinjiang ushered in a new stage of economic and social development，and better protection of human rights.For more than 70 years since 1949，the CPC and the Chinese gov-emment have upheld a people-centered approach to human rights protec-tion，treating the rights to subsistence and development as the primary human rights. Integrating the principle of universal human rights with the country's realities，China has enriched its strategy for the governance of Xinjiang with the following guidelines： governing Xinjiang in accord-ance with the law，maintaining stability in the region through ethnic unity，nourishing the cultures of Xinjiang，promoting prosperity among the local population，and developing Xinjiang from a long-term perspective. In this process，China has given priority to securing and improving people's wellbeing，advanced various undertakings in Xinjiang，and shared the fruits of reform and development with people of all ethnic groups，so as to guarantee their equal rights to participation and development. Thanks to these efforts，human rights have made steady progress in Xinjiang.
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