Children visit the ancient city of Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Han)
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday rebuked certain Western politicians, media workers and scholars for fabricating lies about so-called "genocide" and "forced labor" in Xinjiang.
Hua Chunying made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on remarks made by some Canadian, U.S. and Australian politicians on Xinjiang affairs.
Noting that the Uygur population in Xinjiang has more than doubled in the past 40 years, Hua asked if anyone had ever seen a "genocide" like that.
"Recently, some people from Canada, the United States and Australia have been consistently spreading lies concerning Xinjiang affairs," said Hua, adding that the Chinese side has thoroughly explained the actual situation in Xinjiang in various ways, but these people are seemingly unwilling to listen.
These people -- certain politicians, media workers and scholars from Canada, the United States and Australia -- have never been to Xinjiang, have never seen the beauty of Xinjiang with their own eyes, and have never felt the harmony and happiness of people from various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, Hua said.
She said that more than 200 million tourists visited Xinjiang in 2019, and that China welcomes politicians, media workers and scholars from Canada, the United States and Australia to visit Xinjiang and talk to the people living there if they truly hope to understand the real situation in the region.
However, China firmly opposes any so-called "investigation" based on the presumption of guilt, she added.
Stressing that genocide once was a reality in Canada, the United States and Australia, Hua said that some Westerners like to make groundless accusations against China when it comes to human rights but repeatedly ignore problems in their own countries.
"Do those Canadian, U.S. and Australians politicians have anything to say about those problems? Do they condemn those problems?" said Hua.
Hua said the rights to life and health are top human rights priorities at all times, in all countries and in all societies.
She mentioned the happiness of Chinese people during the Spring Festival and the difficulty of U.S. citizens in southern Texas in the cold weather after massive power outages and disruptions of basic need supplies.
"In terms of guaranteeing human rights, we firmly believe that we are on the correct path and have full confidence about the future," said Hua.
Those people who consistently fabricate and spread lies on Xinjiang affairs aim to use human rights as an excuse to interfere in China's domestic affairs, damage China's security and stability, and block China's development, said Hua, adding that such plots are doomed to fail.
Hua urges those people to focus on their own societies and solving problems in their own countries, adding that if they insist on damaging China's interests, China will make firm and necessary responses.
