Face veils and other coverings for women were deemed "typical extremist attire" by a senior official in Xinjiang province of China.

Communist China has stepped up laws surrounding religious clothing, which has affected the Turkish-speaking Uighur people, a majority of whom are Muslim, native to energy-rich Xinjiang.

Xinjiang, visited this week by George Osborne, is strategically located on the borders of Central Asia and is crucial to China's new Silk Road strategy.

The government is increasingly stringent on religious dress in the area, blaming Islamist separatists for violence that has killed hundreds of people over the past few years.

There is fear among many Xinjiang experts that outlawing of veils could stigmatise the Uighur people further.

Last year, Karamay, a northwestern city in Xinjiang, banned people wearing head scarves, veils or long beards from boarding buses. Authorities in Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi have also banned the wearing of Islamic veils in public.

In unusually strong comments, Xaukat Emen, a member of the Xinjiang Communist Party standing committee, said face veils and other coverings for women were "typical extremist attire" and had nothing to do with Xinjiang, or Arab or Muslim countries.

"A people who totally cover both their eyes are certainly a backward people. We Uighurs do not want to see our female comrades wear this type of clothing," he told a news conference in Beijing.

"Many women want to work, and many want to have contact with society. So on this issue, we will resolutely not agree."

In some cases, men had worn the veil to kidnap children, he added.

Uighurs have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam, but some have begun adopting practises more common in Saudi Arabi or Pakistan, such as full-face veils for women.

Many rights groups trace the real cause of the unrest to China's heavy handed policies, including curbs on Islam and the culture and language of the Uighurs. China denies trying to repress the Uighurs.

An Uighur himself, Xaukat Emen said the government was committed to supporting religious rights in Xinjiang, especially those relating to important festivals such as Eid and the fasting month of Ramadan.

"All the people enjoy religious freedom, and the normal religious practices of believers are protected by law," he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters.