URUMQI: International calls and mobile phone multimedia messaging services will be restored in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as authorities continue to lift communication restrictions.

Hou Hanmin, spokesperson for the regional government, made the remarks Monday after text messaging services began again on midnight Sunday, six months after the deadly July 5 riot, which left 197 dead and more than 1,700 injured, hit the regional capital of Urumqi.

On Sunday alone, 4.13 million mobile phone users in Xinjiang sent 42.84 million text messages. The region has 11.56 million mobile phone users, according to official statistics.