BEIJING -- Xinjiang is now a stable and orderly society, where the local ethnic groups live in mutual harmony and peace, and the region is in an optimal period of development, according to a white paper released by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

Xinjiang has achieved moderate prosperity in all respects together with the rest of China, and has embarked on a new journey of building China into a modern socialist country. This will better ensure ethnic equality, and all the people of Xinjiang will enjoy a happier and more prosperous life, according to the white paper titled "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang."