Experts condemn US bill on Xinjiang as interference in China’s internal affairs

BEIJING - Experts worldwide have denounced the so-called “Uyghur Human Rights Act of 2020” signed by the United States as an unacceptable interference in China’s internal affairs.

All matters concerning Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are China’s internal affairs, and any US interference violates international rules and norms endorsed by the United Nations, international law and basic norms in international relations, Ananda Goonatilleke, president of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, told

Xinhua in a recent interview. “This so-called legislation on China’s Xinjiang is another example of the hegemonic policy” of the United State, Goonatilleke said, noting that such a move will “undermine the sovereignty of independent nations in the world”.

“The United States is also a victim of terrorism and should have supported China’s anti-terrorism measures. But the disgusting truth is, the US is proving its typical double standard on counterterrorism”, he added. In the view of Andrei Manoilo, a professor of political science at Moscow State University, the United States “sees China as its main geopolitical competitor and has long and consistently pursued a policy of containing China”.

While China is effectively fighting terrorism and extremism, the United States is trying to smear these anti-terrorism and preventive measures as massive violations of human rights, he noted. Peter Kagwanja, founding president and chief executive of Kenya’s Africa Policy Institute, a pan-African think tank, said in an interview with Xinhua that Washington has always been using human rights as the “sharpest arrow” to attack its rivals. Contrary to the US claims, China has attached great importance to unity among different ethnic groups and the development of ethnic cultures, and its effort to fight terrorism and extremism has proven to be effective. A selfproclaimed champion of the world’s human rights, the United States turned a blind eye to the serious racial discrimination and human rights abuse within its border, such as the recent killing of African Americans that sparked worldwide protests, he said. (Xinhua)