Meddlesome Washington's malicious farce on Xinjiang

BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved an egregiously baseless and biased bill related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in yet another blatant attempt to use human rights as a pretext for interfering in China's internal affairs.

Yet the bill, teeming with lies, arrogance and prejudice, will deceive no clear eyes, and Washington's latest China-bashing scheme, like all such farces in the past, is doomed to failure, eventually making a mockery of itself.

For starters, Xinjiang-related issues are not about human rights, ethnicity or religion, but about fighting violence, terrorism and separatism, maintaining stability and security, and safeguarding social and economic development in the region.

Xinjiang is a major battlefield in China's counterterrorism endeavors. Official records show that between the 1990s and 2016, thousands of violent terrorist activities took place in the region, claiming numerous innocent lives and causing tremendous property damage. That was a dire situation no responsible government around the world would tolerate on its own soil.

The United Nations, in its 2015 "Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism," called on countries worldwide to broaden their responses, engage earlier and address the drivers of violent extremism such as poverty, lack of socio-economic opportunities, as well as distortion and misuse of beliefs.

China's multi-pronged efforts in combating forces of separatism, extremism and terrorism accord with the UN action plan and have achieved remarkable progress. Because of these measures, Xinjiang has not seen a single violent terrorist attack for three consecutive years.

Take Xinjiang's vocational education program for example. It is aimed at providing those influenced by terrorist and religious extremist teachings with education in standard Chinese, an understanding of the law, and training in vocational skills. Many trainees have either found jobs, started their own businesses, or continued studies in vocational schools after they completed the program.

As for the human rights situation in Xinjiang, facts speak louder than words. Beijing has always attached great importance to boosting the region's stability and development, and improving the well-being of the 25 million people living there.

Over the past 64 years since the autonomous region was established, its economy has been developing by leaps and bounds, and millions of local people have been lifted out of poverty.

Despite Washington's relentless smear campaign, Xinjiang's human rights record has won growing global recognition. Since the end of last year, dozens of groups of foreign envoys, UN officials and representatives of international organizations, media outlets and religious groups have visited Xinjiang, and the comprehensive measures taken by the Xinjiang government and the tangible results in combating terrorism and extremism have gained extensive appreciation and support.

Washington's egocentric defamation and interference will neither blot out the anti-terror progress in Xinjiang, nor diminish Beijing's determination to maintain stability in the region, preserve national sovereignty and safeguard the country's legitimate security and development rights.

Americans know deeply the pain of terrorist attacks. Thus Washington politicians need to join China and other countries worldwide in vanquishing all kinds of terrorism and extremism. At least they should not undermine others' efforts to battle the common threat faced by all mankind.