On July 14, the London-based risk analysis firm Stirling Assynt issued a report that stated an Al-Qaeda affiliate had vowed to avenge the deaths of Uygurs in Urumqi by targeting Chinese workers in North Africa. According to China Daily, Al-Qaeda's Algerian-based offshoot, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, called for reprisals by targeting the 50,000 Chinese workers in Algeria as well as Chinese projects and workers across northwest Africa.

On the same day, China's embassy in Algeria called on its citizens to be wary. "Considering the situation since the outbreak of riots in Urumqi on July 5, the embassy is calling on Chinese-funded organizations and personnel to raise their security awareness and strengthen security measures," said a statement on the embassy website.

Devastated tourism

The downtown Urumqi International Bazaar, a popular tourism spot filled with souvenir shops, restaurants and venues for traditional ethnic singing and dancing has been hit hardest as a result of the riot. On July 5, mobs destroyed many stores and more than 10 tourism group buses in the area. Xinhua reported that many of the bazaar shops had reopened for business by July 13, and traffic controls had also been lifted.

Despite the return to normalcy, the wounds to local tourism could take time to heal. Inam Nasirdin, Director of the Xinjiang Tourism Administration, said at a July 11 press conference that 1,450 tour groups, accounting for up to 85,000 tourists, had cancelled their plans because of the unrest. Tourism in other popular Xinjiang spots also plummeted following the riot.

The local official also said the region must promote its tourism at international trade fairs and forums to reduce the impact caused by the riot. The tourism administration will also try lobbying the Central Government to hold more international activities in Xinjiang. Tourism committees, agencies and hotels in the region are being asked to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors.

Xinjiang's tourism has seen strong growth over the last five years. More than 22.3 million tourists flocked to the area in 2008. Inam Nasirdin told Beijing Review in May that his administration was striving to attract tourists from other parts of China in efforts to offset the impact of the global financial slowdown.