Xinjiang prosperity, unity best responses to US slanders: FM spokesman

A prosperous, stable and harmonious Xinjiang with unity among all ethnic groups will be the most powerful response to slandering remarks on the region, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

Xinjiang affairs are China's internal matters that allow no interference from foreign and external anti-China forces, he said.

The remarks came after the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed on Tuesday that China is committing very significant human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and other minority groups in mass detention.

"The same old tune being played by a relevant US individual is full of political bias and lies," Geng said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

"It again exposed how he played double standards on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization issues and we can clearly see how vicious his intentions are by using Xinjiang-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs," he said.

The spokesman said that Xinjiang has not seen a single violent and terrorist incident over the past three years since the local authorities cracked down on violent and terrorist crimes in a lawful manner and paid attention to addressing the root cause of the crimes.

Statistics showed that thousands of violent and terrorist incidents occurred in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2016, causing heavy casualties and property losses.

"Following the logic of certain people, residents in Xinjiang should oppose our positive measures and live in the shadows of extremism, violence and terrorism instead; will it be the right thing?"Geng said.

Since 2015, the Chinese government has published seven white papers on Xinjiang that give details on how the Chinese government protects the freedom of religious belief of nearly 200 million religious believers in the country.

The spokesman noted that what some US individuals apparently lack is not the means to get the correct information, but the courage and conscience to admit the truth.

China will continue to implement its Xinjiang policy and ensure the region's sound development, he said, adding that China always welcomes foreigners with an objective and fair mind to visit Xinjiang.

Also at the news conference on Wednesday, Geng refuted recent remarks made by US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell. Grenell has said that there is no moral equivalency between China and the US.

"Indeed, there is no moral equivalency between the two countries," Geng said.

When China always upholds peace, promotes development and adheres to morality in the big family of the international community, the US is harming others for its own benefit and is being self-centered and faithless, he added.