A group of 101 passengers and crew on board a Chinese jet have been officially congratulated for foiling a hijack attempt on their aircraft.

On Friday, a Tianjin Airlines plane was flying from Hotan to the regional capital Urumqi when six men armed with iron bars attempted to take control of the cabin.

However, when it was observed one of the men was trying to light a fire, the passengers rose up and tackled the gang, pinning them down before the plane could land.

Armed police boarded the aircraft, but the men were all arrested without any further fight.

The Xinjiang autonomous region is home to the mainly Muslim Uighur people, many of whom resent Chinese government controls on their culture and religion.

The region has seen intense cultural tension in recent years, which often spills over into riots, shootings and other attacks.