BEIJING — The new Communist Party chief for China's restive western region debuted a softer line on the remote area Tuesday, calling for less discrimination against its largely Muslim population and more initiatives to help win their trust and support.

Zhang Chunxian was made the top Chinese official in Xinjiang less than a year ago, replacing a hard-liner who launched a harsh crackdown after deadly ethnic clashes erupted there in 2009 between predominantly Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese migrants.

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