China refutes U.S.' slanderous accusation of Xinjiang

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian speaks at a press conference, May 16, 2022. (Photo /fmprc.gov.cn)

(ECNS) -- China on Monday refuted the report released by the U.S. State Department which spread the lies of “forced labor”, “detention camps” and “coercive assimilation” in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, trying to smear the region and contain China’s development.

"Xinjiang enjoys social stability and tranquility and economic prosperity and development. Residents there are living happy and fulfilling lives, and the human rights of people of all ethnic groups are fully protected," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a press conference held on Monday.

“We believe that lies and disinformation will just collapse in front of the facts,” said Zhao.

The U.S. in fact has serious problems of human trafficking and forced labor, said Zhao. “Nearly 100,000 people are smuggled into the U.S. for forced labor every year. As we speak, there are at least half a million people enslaved in the U.S.; and roughly 240,000 to 325,000 women and children in the U.S. are victims of sexual slavery,” said Zhao, citing relevant data.

As for the so-called “detention camps” in Xinjiang, Zhao pointed out that the U.S. itself stands out as an old hand at arbitrary detention and abuse of torture as well as the evil hand behind a network of black sites overseas.

“Over the years, the CIA has set up black sites in at least 54 countries and regions where hundreds of thousands of people are put under detention. Many U.S. black sites are caught up in prisoner abuse scandals, with the use of brutal and horrifying torture,” said the spokesperson.

The U.S. should face squarely and reflect upon its serious human rights problems including genocide, racial discrimination, human trafficking, forced labor, arbitrary detention and abuse of torture, and stop meddling in other countries’ internal affairs in the name of human rights, he added.