Chris, it makes sense to me, as part of the broader question of whether the ccp can afford all its policies. the repressive apparatus, not just in xinjiang, must be very expensive (take Chaoyang district in beijing, which a Xinhua report said had 120,000 paid 'informants' - at 3000 yuan a month, plus social security). then there is the military upgrading, debt repayment, the costs of environmental degradation, social security and health, foreign ventures of varying sorts etc etc.