China shrugs off security concerns on new link to restless west

A policeman stands guard under a stretch of the new high-speed rail line between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Turpan, June 3, 2014. REUTERS/Michael Martina

TURPAN China (Reuters) - China showed off its first high-speed rail link to the restive far western region of Xinjiang on Tuesday, promising that it could guarantee the security of an important economic project despite a recent serious escalation in violence.

Officials are still testing the line, which will run from the central western city of Lanzhou to Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, drastically reducing travel times to the energy-rich region located strategically on the borders of Central Asia.