ISLAMABAD: China on Monday appreciated the position upheld by Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) about development in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
According to a statement issued by the Chinese embassy, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing while commenting on positive remarks made by Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and UAE Ambassador to China Ali Al Dhaheri.
He said that China appreciates the “objective and unbiased position” upheld by the Pakistani and UAE sides.
He said that Chairman Hussain and Ambassador Dhaheri both spoke about their first-hand experience in Xinjiang during the interviews, which reflected the real situation in Xinjiang.
“It has also proven that the lies on Xinjiang concocted by a handful of anti-China elements in the West are nothing but a farce to malign and smear China. Their attempts to interfere in China’s internal affairs will not succeed,” he added.
He said that since 2018, more than 1,200 people from over 100 countries had visited Xinjiang. That includes UN officials, foreign diplomats posted in China, some countries’ permanent representatives to Geneva, journalists and religious groups.
“They saw with their own eyes a region thriving with stability and prosperity and commended its exemplary counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation efforts,” the spokesperson said. “We welcome more foreign friends to visit Xinjiang and see the real situation there, including its socioeconomic development and how local residents are enjoying their life and work.”
Wenbin said that the Chinese side believed more and more countries would speak up for “justice” like Pakistan and the UAE.
According to media reports, Hussain said in a recent interview that the economic growth of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the population growth of the Uygur community belie the politically-motivated fiction peddled by a few Western politicians.
The UAE ambassador to China Ali Al Dhaheri also spoke highly of Xinjiang’s economic development and progress in poverty alleviation, applauded the effective counter-terrorism and deradicalisation efforts and expressed hope for stronger cooperation with China on this front.
