Beijing: China's first anti-extremism law comes into effect on Saturday, enforcing bans on full-face veils and long beards in the restive far-western region of Xinjiang.

Such bans had previously only been applied ad hoc. The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region sits along the ancient Silk Road and is home to around 10 million Muslim Uighurs, who have faced increasing restrictions after ethnic violence erupted in 2009.

The law bans 15 behaviours which are labelled extremist activities, including refusing to watch Chinese state television and radio news broadcasts.

"Expanding the concept of halal beyond food items", "abnormal" beards and names, "wearing veils and robes [and] symbols of extremism", marrying or divorcing through religious means instead of Chinese law, not allowing children to attend government schools and deliberately breaking the family planning policy are also banned.