According to Ahlul Bayt (A) News Agency – ABNA.ir – Head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, will travel to China on a one-week visit "upon an invitation from the Chinese government."
Ihsanoglu will have talks in China and visit regions where Uighurs live, according to a statement by OIC Press Center.
The press center said the visit would begin on June 16 and the first stop would be Beijing.
Ihsanoglu will later visit Urumchi and Kashgar regions.
It is stated that the visit coincided prior to the anniversary of Urumchi protests that occurred on July 5, 2009.
Over 150 people were killed and approximately 1,000 others were injured in the riots which followed demonstrations protesting a fight between Uighur and Han Chinese workers at a toy factory late June 2009. Two Uighur workers had been killed in the strife.
Urumchi is in the Uighur Autonomous Region that has a population of over 21 million. Nearly 11 million Uighurs, Mongols and Huis live in the region.
Chinese government accused overseas Uighur groups of provoking the protests in Muslim regions Uighurs call "East Turkestan, but China named "Xinjiang".
However, Uighur Turks living outside China often say Chinese government pursued an assimilation policy against Uighurs.
Uighur Turks living in Turkey staged protests in Istanbul and called on the international community to take action to stop Chinese government. Protestors also said death toll was more than announced by Chinese officials.
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