Xinjiang official slams Pompeo
A SENIOR official of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region yesterday denounced former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s allegations of “genocide” and a “crime against humanity” as the biggest setup in human history and welcomed foreigners to visit the region to discover the real situation themselves.
“Pompeo’s vicious remarks have seriously trampled upon international law and basic norms governing international relations, interfered in China’s internal affairs and damaged the sentiments of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. His ‘determination’ is nothing more than wasted paper,” Xu Guixiang, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Xinjiang Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, said at a press briefing in Beijing.
“We welcome foreigners from all walks of life, including relevant officials of the new US administration, to visit Xinjiang and see for themselves the real situation so as to avoid being deceived by Pompeo’s lies,” he said. “However, we also have principles and a bottom line, and will not accept the so-called investigation with a presumption of guilt,” Xu said.
The United States and Britain have recently issued a series of sanctions against Xinjiang on the grounds of forced labor, including banning imports of cotton and tomatoes from Xinjiang and adding some Xinjiang enterprises to the US export control entity list.
In response, Xu said the United States has neither verified the relevant information nor had any contact with relevant enterprises and employees. It has used socalled “forced labor” in Xinjiang as an excuse to implement longarm jurisdiction and abuse export controls.
Xu said that such barbaric acts gravely violate international trade rules, severely damage global industrial and supply chains, and seriously infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and employees in Xinjiang.
“We express strong indignation and stern condemnation.
“In response to the unreasonable sanctions imposed by the United States, we will, in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of China and the United States, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises through legal channels and resolutely recover losses,” he added.