World Bank cuts back project in China's restive Xinjiang

The World Bank is cutting back a $50 million project that supported vocational colleges in China’s restive Xinjiang

The World Bank is cutting back a $50 million project in China’s restive Xinjiang following a review prompted by allegations of abuses.

A statement from the bank dated Monday said it would close a component of the project to support five public vocational colleges involving partner schools that were the subject of the abuse claims.

It said although visits to the partner schools “did not substantiate the allegations,” they were too widely dispersed to be properly monitored for adherence to bank standards.

While the partner schools account for just 1% of the project’s financing, the move is politically significant because China has been criticized for confining more than 1 million members of Muslim minority ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

China says they are being offered training to reduce poverty and extremism.