A top official from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that Xinjiang residents have joined the radical group Islamic State.
3月10日，来自新疆维吾尔族自治区的一位高级官员首次证实，新疆确有人参加极端组织“伊斯兰国”（IS）。
"Some Xinjiang residents have crossed the border illegally to join IS. The group currently has a growing international influence, and Xinjiang is affected by it, too," said Zhang Chunxian, the region's top leader.
新疆自治区党委书记张春贤表示：“目前确实出现了新疆人非法越境参加IS的情况。这个组织国际影响力很大，新疆也不会置身事外，也受到了影响。”
"We recently broke up a terrorist cell run by those who returned from fighting with the group," Zhang said at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual National People's Congress session.
张春贤在十二届全国人大三次会议新疆代表团开放日上说：“最近新疆破获的一些暴恐案件中，有些人是直接参加（IS）回来的。”
He said IS, which has seized large areas of eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq, is a threat to countries worldwide and joint international efforts are needed to fight it.
他表示，IS已经夺取了叙利亚东部和伊拉克西部的大部分地区，对世界各国来说都是一种威胁，对抗IS需要国际社会共同合作。
Xinjiang has been hit by religious extremism, leading to an increasing number of terrorist attacks in the region and elsewhere in China in recent years.
近年来，新疆受到宗教极端主义侵蚀，导致当地和中国其它地区的恐怖袭击事件呈现上升态势。
Last year, Chinese authorities arrested some of those attempting to cross borders illegally to join terrorist or extremist groups.
去年，中国政府逮捕了一些试图非法越境参加恐怖组织或极端组织的人员。
In southern Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture, some people have been influenced by IS, but measures taken to eliminate religious extremism can handle the new situation, according to Eziz Musar, the prefecture's commissioner.
在新疆南部的和田地区，一些人已经受到IS的影响。但和田县委的Eziz Musar表示，当地已经采取措施应对新形势，以消除宗教极端主义的侵蚀毒害。
Zhang said Xinjiang has been working hard to end religious extremism while dealing with inroads made by new groups, but this takes time.
张春贤表示，新疆一直致力于消除宗教极端主义，抵御新组织的入侵，但这需要时间。
"Xinjiang also has to pay the price when extremists fight back. The region has done a lot to ensure social stability in China," he said.
“在与极端势力的斗争中，新疆也付出了代价。为保障中国的社会稳定，新疆付出了很多。”他说。
Adudulrekep Tumniaz, president of the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, said the region has more than 12 million Muslims, making up 52 percent of China's Muslim population. Guiding them in the right direction and keeping them away from religious extremism is a matter of national security.
新疆伊斯兰学院主席Adudulrekep Tumniaz表示，新疆地区有1200多万穆斯林，占全国穆斯林人数的52%。引领他们走向正确的方向，让他们远离宗教极端主义的威胁，是一个国家安全问题。
Shohrat Zakir, the newly elected chairman of Xinjiang, said there have been terrorist activities in the region due to the international situation.
新当选的新疆自治区主席雪克来提·扎克尔（Shohrat Zakir）表示，新疆地区之所以出现恐怖活动，是因为受到国际形势的影响。
But there will be fewer violent terrorist attacks because authorities have been striking hard against terrorist and extremist activities in accordance with the law, he said.
但他认为，政府一直在依法严厉打击恐怖活动和极端主义活动，暴恐案件只会越来越少。
"The overall situation in Xinjiang is stable and controllable," he said.
“新疆社会大局处在稳定和可控的状态。”他说。
He also spoke of the importance of Mandarin education in rural areas of southern Xinjiang, which have seen the most terrorist attacks in the region.
他还提到了加强南疆农村地区普通话教育的重要性。而新疆的恐怖袭击事件，大都发生在南疆地区。
"Many villagers in southern Xinjiang still cannot speak the national common language, which has affected their employment chances. They are also more easily manipulated if they live in closed communities," he said.
“在南疆地区，很多村民仍不会讲普通话，这影响了他们的就业机会。此外，住在闭塞社区里的他们更容易受到外部势力的操纵。”他说。
Vocabulary
radical：激烈的，激进的
extremism：极端主义
eliminate：消除，清除
inroad：侵害