URUMQI, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Two weeks after a deadly riot in Xinjiang, residents in the far western region of China are gradually shaking off the shadow of the violence and striving for a revival.

On the Youth Road of downtown Urumqi, the regional capital, the Haojiaxiang supermarket is again crowded with customers hunting for bargains. After the July 5 riot in the city that has left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured, the supermarket saw its weekend turnover exceed the pre-riot level because of massive discounts.

The supermarket, one of the largest in Urumqi, has resumed normal operations from July 8 after early closings on July 6 and 7.

"More products are at a discount to attract customers," said the store's deputy manager Xu Bin. Discount ranges now account for20 percent of the supermarket's overall grocery sales, including fruit, vegetables and other daily necessities.

According to local government statistics, 98 percent of the stores, supermarkets and farm products markets that were damaged during the July 5 riot have resumed businesses.

A 4S store of Nissan auto, which estimated a loss of 8 million yuan (1.2 million U.S. dollars) as the rioters burned and smashed its vehicles, has received orders for 23 cars after it reopened on July 15.

At an agriculture product market on the Hezret Road in Kashgar, previous prosperity has returned -- venders are peddling their goods and customers are bargaining.

"I hope people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang can work together and restore the market as soon as possible," said AbdullaSabur, an old Uygur man who owns a raisin booth outside a bazaar in Urumqi.

The supply of vegetables, meat and other daily necessities is abundant in Urumqi and prices have gradually stabilized after a steep surge, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner.

Between July 6 and July 9, vegetable prices in the city surged more than 30 percent while meat prices rose between 6 percent and 25 percent as tension after the riot affected supply and demand.

To ease shortage, 1,500 tonnes of vegetables were shipped to Urumqi between July 6 and 11, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The NDRC has urged local authorities to ensure market supplies, ease price hikes and enhance inspection to avoid illegal hoarding and speculation.

Nevertheless, bleak business pictures can be seen in Urumqi's largest border trade market on Yan'an Road, one of the most ravaged places during the violence. Stores had re-opened, but attracted much fewer customers than before.

"Many foreign clients dare not come to Urumqi in the short term because of the riot," said Dong Lipeng, a garment wholesaler from Wenzhou city in east China's Zhejiang Province. "The riot has hurt business here."

The riot would affect trade and economic exchange between Xinjiang and Central Asian countries because of foreign customers' safety concerns, said Wang Haiyan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

However, it would have limited impact on the long-term trade and economic exchange between Xinjiang and Central Asian countries, Wang said. With the situation being stabilized, economic activities and trade should return to normal in Xinjiang soon.

As a major port for trade between China and neighboring Russia and Central Asian countries, Xinjiang reaped 22.2 billion U.S. dollars in foreign trade last year. It had set a target of 25-percent growth in 2009.

He Yiming, director of regional commerce department, said it was possible for Xinjiang to reach its trade target despite the global economic downturn and the riot.

"It's not easy, but we still have a chance to realize the foreign trade target of 27.8 billion U.S. dollars this year," he said.

The tourism industry, which contributes 6 percent to 7 percent of Xinjiang's gross domestic product (GDP), has also been affected by the July 5 violence.

About 3,400 domestic and overseas tourist groups, comprising 200,000 travelers, had canceled tours to Xinjiang as of July 12, according to the tourism bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Although not a major contributor to the regional GDP, the tourism industry was an important source for local residents to increase income, said Huang Pingchao, an official with regional bureau of commerce in Xinjiang.

To revive the industry, local tourism authority has sought a 5-million-yuan subsidy from the regional government to help travel agencies survive.

In addition, each traveler who visits Xinjiang before Aug. 31 would receive a 10-yuan subsidy per day, a move expected to attract 50,000 tourists during this period.

Despite the riot, investor confidence in Xinjiang's long-term economic development is not affected.

Multinational companies including the world's soft drink giant Coca Cola, Canada Fei Cui International Industrial Group Ltd. and retail giant Carrefour have all expressed confidence in the region's future.

"Coca-Cola still has a very optimistic outlook on Xinjiang's economy and consumer potential in the long term," said Chen Hongbing, general manager of the COFCO Coca-Cola Beverage (Xinjiang) Co., Ltd..

The Chinese government had responded quickly to restore order after the riot, he said. "The riot won't have any impact on our long-term marketing and investment here."

Thanks to decades of fast development, Xinjiang's economy has been on a fast track. Provincial GDP rose 14.8 percent annually on average from 1999 to 2007. It grew 11 percent last year from 2007 despite the adverse impacts of global financial crisis.

Nur Berkri, chairman of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was confident that the regional economy would develop rapidly in the second half of this year. But he admitted the riot would add to the difficulties brought by the global financial crisis.

More measures would be taken to boost agricultural production, improve industrial output, stimulate private investment and expand consumers' demand in the second half, Berkri promised.

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Official: Real purpose of Urumqi riot "Xinjiang's independence"

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The real purpose of the July 5 rioters in Urumqi, capital of west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was "Xinjiang's independence", an official said here Tuesday.

Wu Shimin, vice minister in charge of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC), told a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the rioters' purpose "would never be realized".

"However, we will continue to meet the reasonable demands of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and other regions to help them solve problems," he said.

The violence in Urumqi had left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured. The homes of 633 families were damaged and 627 vehicles were smashed and torched.

Wu told reporters that the causes of the riot had nothing to do with "any religion", China's ethnic polices or relations between ethnic groups.

"The incident was schemed and fabricated by the 'three forces' of extremism, separatism and terrorism both at home and abroad," he said. "None of the clergy in Xinjiang mosques were involved."

He said the government applied a uniform ethnic policy in all ethnic minority areas and the fact the riot only occurred in Urumqi proved it had nothing to do with the national ethnic policies.

"Increasing exchanges between different ethnic groups and the differences in language, customs and religions have indeed caused some conflicts and frictions," Wu said. "But the problems have been solved in quite timely and appropriate ways."

He also promised no restrictions on promoting officials from ethnic minorities because of the riot in Urumqi.

The government regarded officials from ethnic minorities as an important force to develop ethnic regions and maintain ethnic harmony, Wu said. "In face of the July 5 riot, officials from ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang firmly stood with the state and people."

In all of the country's five autonomous regions, 30 autonomous prefectures and 120 autonomous counties, the administrative chief was always from an ethnic minority, he said. "We also take in as many ethnic officials as possible in government departments of these areas."

With more ethnic minority officials, the government expected all ethnic groups to take part in governance and to exercise their rights, he said.

People from ethnic minorities generally faced the same requirements as Han counterparts in seeking civil service posts, but those who applied to work at the department of ethnic affairs would be preferred, he said.