CPC’s leadership leads to Xinjiang’s anti-terrorism success
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 that they won’t be 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 thematic briefing on Xinjiang held on Monday evening 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 languages including French, English and Arabic.
“Some Western countries have fabricated rumors about Xinjiang. Those rumors have ignored the region’s anti-terrorism and anti-extremism 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 that 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 don’t 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.
Canada’s House of Commons passed a nonbinding motion on Monday, alleging that China’s treatment of the Uygur people in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region constitutes genocide. Such a baseless accusation has been heard time and again from Western countries, highlighting their intention to tarnish China’s image in the world arena.
Facts speak louder than words. What China has achieved in promoting social, economic and cultural development in Xinjiang disproves such lies.
The Uygur population in Xinjiang has more than doubled in the past 40 years, the region joined the rest of the country in eliminating absolute poverty at the end of last year, and there are 24,000 mosques in the region that ensure Uygur people’s right to religion is fully protected.
This does not conform to the picture being painted by these Western countries with their accusations of “genocide” and “religious oppression” in the region.
Not to mention that, thanks to China’s lawful counter-terrorism measures, including setting up vocational education and training centers, Xinjiang has enjoyed social stability and economic development without suffering any terrorist attack in the past four years.
Hence, anybody who respects the truth will arrive at the conclusion drawn by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi — who told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday that
Xinjiang is a “shining example” of China’s human rights progress.
Indeed, the region is in its best period of development with people of different ethnic groups and religious beliefs living together as equals, enjoying unity and harmony, and leading a peaceful and stable life. Those who consistently fabricate and spread lies about Xinjiang are trying to use human rights as an excuse to interfere in China’s internal affairs and block its development.
On human rights issues, there are clearly differences between Western countries and the developing world. China, as the biggest developing country, has followed a correct path in attaching the utmost importance to people’s rights to subsistence and development while systematically advancing other human rights.
As Wang reiterated on Monday, China is willing to conduct international human rights dialogues and cooperation under the principles of mutual respect and equality, so as to advance the human rights cause internationally. But it strongly opposes any double standard on human rights and using them as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Such malpractice does a disservice to the advancement of human rights worldwide.
The world has become well-versed in Western countries’ championing of human rights in countries besides themselves. Canada’s bid to shame China merely reflects how shameless they are in carrying out this sham.