Uygurs: Joyful and harmonious life

The so-called “Uygur-related issue” is essentially fabricating lies to smear China and interfere in China’s internal affairs.

The Jerusalem Post published a letter entitled “Eager to support the Uygurs” on June 28. In the name of supporting Uygur people, the letter was full of fallacies and lies, smearing China’s human rights practice and using this as an excuse to discredit China’s mutually beneficial cooperation with Israel and other countries.

The so-called “China’s violation of Uygur people’s human rights” is a lie of the century. Xinjiang-related issues are not about human rights, ethnicity or religion at all, but about combating violent terrorism, separatism and extremism. Xinjiang-related issues completely fall into China’s internal affairs and allow no interference by external forces. In history, Xinjiang was once plagued by violent terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism, which are known as “three evil forces.”

Since the 1990s and especially after the September 11 attacks, the “three evil forces” carried out thousands of violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, which claimed many innocent lives and caused huge property damage. Many of the victims were Uygurs. In order to eradicate the threat of terrorism and its breeding grounds, the Chinese government cracked down on violent terrorist activities according to the laws and, at the same time, actively promoted de-radicalization to remove the root causes of terrorism.

These efforts made a difference and garnered ardent support of people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Xinjiang has seen zero terrorist attack for more than four consecutive years. The basic rights of all ethnic groups, including the right to life, health and development have been protected to the maximum extent.

In recent years, Xinjiang made tremendous achievements in economic and social development and human rights. From 2014 to 2019, the GDP of Xinjiang increased from 919.59 billion yuan to 1.36 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 7.2%. All 3.06 million rural impoverished people in Xinjiang have been lifted out of poverty. Xinjiang’s average life expectancy has jumped from 30 years just after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China to 72 years old. As of October 2020, the Uygur population in Xinjiang has exceeded 11.62 million, an increase of 1.623 million or 16.2% over 2010.

The real situation in Xinjiang cannot be discredited by rumors. We welcome Israeli friends to visit Xinjiang, to see with your own eyes, to experience the joyful and harmonious life of all ethnic groups and their brilliant, diversified culture. Before facts, all lies and smears will collapse.

THE EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE

STATE OF ISRAEL