Howard French

A woman pushes at Chinese paramilitary police wearing riot gear as a crowd of angry locals confront security forces on a street in the city of Urumqi in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region on July 7, 2009.

How China squeezes its Uighur minority — and how they’re fighting back

Conflict

China says it’s trying to modernize Xinjiang, the region in far western China that’s home to the Muslim Uighur minority. It also claims Uighurs may be training with ISIS militants in the Middle East, but locals say its all part of a fear campaign to stamp out their culture and religion.

Iron ore is unloaded from the Star Fortune bulk carrier at Rizhao Port, one of China's biggest ports for importing the commodity, in Shandong province, in March 2010.

How is China expanding its economic empire in Africa?