Shanghai | Officials in the far western Chinese province of Xinjiang say the “majority” of ethnic Uighurs living in re-education centres have returned to society where they have found well-paying jobs, but they will not say how many people remain detained.

The comments during a press conference to talk about the region's efforts to alleviate poverty signalled another shift in China’s defence of what western countries have labelled a mass indoctrination program under which  more than 1 million Muslims have been held against their will.