The next step is to add Tocharian to Babbel and Duolingo ;-)
Wait wait wait: so Xinjiang is an inalienable part of Europe?
For those interested in an overview of the history of the area in an historic dramatic frame of reference I can recommend the group of short stories published as Life Along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield.
Fun to read this in light of this other post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279627