Passport relaxation assists opening-up

Xinjiang will step up efforts with neighbors to prevent people from illegally crossing borders

Xinjiang's move to make it easier for residents to apply for passports could be used by extremists and terrorists there to carry out jihad, or "holy war", abroad but the tight controls of the past are no longer suitable for an area aiming to be more open, said a senior official of the region.

"Xinjiang tightened its passport application process in 2006 and we subsequently simplified the procedure in August 2015, which is now in line with China's exit and entry regulations," said Che Jun, who is in charge of maintaining social stability of the region.