China's volatile Xinjiang province to have 9 more airports

China's Muslim-majority volatile Xinjiang province will start or complete nine more airports in 2017 as part of its infrastructure expansion.
"Two new airports in counties of Shache and Ruoqiang will be completed and put into operation, while the airports of Korla City and Hotan City will enter operation after expansion," said Zhang Chunlin, director of the region's reform and development commission.
Zhang said that expansion or construction of the other five airports in the region would also begin in the year.
Preparatory work on a further seven new airports is also ongoing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Xinjiang currently has 18 airports, the most of any province in China.

Xinjiang, the home of native Muslim Uygurs, was in turmoil for a years over Uygur resentment about the increasing settlements of Hans, from other parts of China.