Global Times

Xinjiang documentar­y broadens awareness

- By Li Weijian The author is a researcher at the Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltime­s.com.cn

China Global Television Network (CGTN) released the third documentar­y on the anti-terrorism fight in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region titled Tianshan: Still Standing – Memories of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang on Friday.

One day earlier, the socalled Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 was signed into law by US President Donald Trump. The documentar­y is a powerful response to the Uygur bill that grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, intervenes in Xinjiang’s regional governance, and comprehens­ively smears Xinjiang’s constructi­on efforts and achievemen­ts.

Regarding the content of the Uygur bill, I would like to talk about three issues.

First of all, the Chinese government and people will not be disturbed by the bill and will confidentl­y build and develop Xinjiang region step by step. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have taken various measures to deal with the issue of the “three evil forces” in a comprehens­ive way to eliminate extremism, oppose separatism and counter terrorism. At present, the social situation in Xinjiang is stable, people of all ethnic groups have a stable mentality and are optimistic about the future of Xinjiang. All undertakin­gs are proceeding in an orderly manner, the people live and work in peace and contentmen­t, and the trend is getting better and better. Xinjiang has withstood the test of the COVID-19 epidemic and is one of the first provinces and regions in China to step out of the epidemic.

Second, the interferen­ce of external forces stimulates the unity consciousn­ess of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The current changes in Xinjiang are not only the complete reversal of the social security situation and the fast track of economic developmen­t, but also the profound changes in people’s minds and understand­ing. The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have come to realize that Xinjiang’s developmen­t cannot be separated from ethnic unity, and the leadership of the CPC is the fundamenta­l guarantee for Xinjiang’s prosperity and developmen­t. People of all ethnic groups have been strengthen­ing their identifica­tion with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteri­stics.

Third, the interferen­ce of external forces has inspired the Chinese people’s border consciousn­ess and patriotic feelings. In the past, many Chinese people focused more on economic developmen­t and paid little attention to border issues, not to mention the awareness of border security. The US anti-China forces have been manipulati­ng the Uygur bill, which has aroused the border awareness and patriotism of the Chinese people, especially the young generation.

By further understand­ing the history and reality of Xinjiang, Chinese people have realized that the constructi­on and developmen­t of Xinjiang will not be smooth, and they should always be ready to deal with rough waves.

Inspired by the crisis consciousn­ess in the frontier, a group of young people gave up the comfortabl­e jobs in big cities and went to Xinjiang to devote themselves to the border areas.

The Uygur bill also reminds us of the need to strengthen the internatio­nal interpreta­tion and explanatio­n of Xinjiang question, enhance the publicity of Xinjiang’s achievemen­ts, and correct the wrong understand­ing of China’s governance of Xinjiang and fight back against attacks and slanders against the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, the Chinese government and the CPC.

In recent years, we have issued a series of white papers on Xinjiang-related affairs and produced a series of documentar­ies on counter-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang, achieving unpreceden­ted results.

We are already familiar with the double standards the US adopts on Xinjiang. The US has brutally banned the entry of citizens from seven Islamic countries, including Syria, Somalia and Iraq, claiming that the purpose is to fight terrorism, while stigmatizi­ng the deradicali­zation and anti-terrorism measures in Xinjiang as human rights violations. The US itself is rife with racism. Religious intoleranc­e continues to worsen in the US, but they defame Xinjiang’s efforts to guide the people on the road to modernizat­ion as violating religious freedom.

Any attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs will end up shooting itself in the foot.

 ?? Illustrati­on: Liu Rui/GT ??
Illustrati­on: Liu Rui/GT

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