A 14-year project to demarcate the borders defining the
administrative units of the
Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region has come to a close.
The mammoth project, in which 33,600 kilometers of borders were
demarcated, was fraught with danger due to the remote, desert
terrain. In the course of the demarcation process, according to
local government officials, several workers stranded in the desert
nearly lost their lives.
According to Uygur officials, the demarcation was a crucial step in
putting an end to the frequent border disputes and lawsuits which
had plagued the region prior to the 1988 initiation of the
project.
(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2002)