Debunking rumors and lies about anti-terrorism measures in Xinjiang
Representatives of foreign political parties slam the West’s propaganda after online briefing by the CPC
Leaders of different foreign political parties said people should see the real intentions of those fabricating and spreading rumors about the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in global society, so as to avoid being misled.
The anti-terrorism measures in the region, which has been the front line of China’s battle against terrorism, have proved to be effective, they said on the sidelines of an online briefing on Xinjiang, held on Feb 22, in the regional capital Urumqi.
The event was a part of the “Stories of the Communist Party of China” thematic briefings organized by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. The briefings aim to share the practices of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
More than 300 representatives from nearly 200 foreign political parties, media organizations and think tanks took part in the briefing, which focused on how Xinjiang people are working toward better lives under the leadership of the CPC. The event was livestreamed online in different languages including French, English and Arabic.
“Some Western countries have fabricated rumors about Xinjiang. Those rumors have ignored the region’s anti-terrorism and antiextremism efforts, which are among the best in the world,” said Kawa Mahmoud, secretary of the Kurdistan Communist Party of Iraq.
Mahmoud said that during his visit he had witnessed how the region’s economic development has benefited from the stabilized social environment.
“China should stick to its development path and continue to refute rumors that aim to curb the development of the country,” Mahmoud said.
Robert Griffiths, general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain, said a vital part of the successful effort to combat terrorism in Xinjiang has been the way in which the Chinese government and the authorities locally and centrally address the economic and social problems of Xinjiang.
To curb the spread of terrorism and religious extremism, the region launched a series of measures in 2014 to tackle the problems at the root, including setting up vocational education and training centers offering deradicalization programs.
“What Xinjiang has done is frank and transparent. Everything we do is to improve the lives of Xinjiang people. The claims of ‘forced labor’, ‘genocide’, or ‘camps’ are just total slander,” said Chen Quanguo, Party secretary of Xinjiang.
Song Tao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said some countries and a small group of people do not want to see the good situation in Xinjiang. They also attack China’s policies in Xinjiang to create estrangement between China and Islamic states.
In a statement issued after the event, the participants expressed opposition to the odious behavior of some individuals from certain countries in misleading international public opinion with cookedup rumors about so-called “ethnic cleansing” in Xinjiang.