China's top judge urges swift, severe sentences in Xinjiang

Paramilitary policemen patrol along a street in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, May 27, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer

BEIJING (Reuters) - China must crack down "harshly and quickly" on cases involving terror attacks, national security and social stability in its restive region of Xinjiang, the country's top judge said, in comments likely to further worry rights groups and exiles.

Resource-rich Xinjiang is strategically located on the borders of Central Asia, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and China has shown no sign of loosening its control.