ABSTRACT
Beijing persisted in responding to the Uighur insurgency with a mixture of security measures and developmental policies, although the former were seen as paramount. The insurgents demonstrated their opposition to the approach by attacking Xinjiang’s rail infrastructure, both a symbol of economic development and a key facet of the attempt to integrate the region with Central Asian markets – an effort the government regarded as strategically important. On 26 June, the United States announced that it was disbanding the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, which had mainly provided capacity-building assistance to the Philippine Western Mindanao Command. Gazmin stated that following the transition some capabilities would remain under a Pacific Command augmentation team, including a reduced number of troops. The insurgency campaign waged by the New People’s Army remained at a low intensity in 2014, although it affected many areas of the Philippines.
