Xinjiang couple in their new modern home   Photo: Yang Hui/GT

As the Trump administration has left, Joe Biden is busy "sterilizing" the White House. Meanwhile the sinister slander alleging "genocide" released by Mike Pompeo, the clown of the century, before losing his job, lives on.

Just as the Chinese people were happily celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, accusations of "concentration camps," "forced labor," "compulsory sterilization," "systemic sexual assault" and other absurd claims of "crimes" were levied against Xinjiang. 

To clarify, China has so far released more than 10 white papers elaborating economic and social development of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The regional government of Xinjiang has held over 20 press conferences, invited more than 1,200 diplomats, journalists and representatives of religious organizations from more than 100 countries to visit Xinjiang. Not long ago, Xinhua News Agency published "Lies on Xinjiang-related issues versus the truth," listing and debunking a total of 24 Xinjiang-related prevarications. 

Are there any 'concentration camps' in Xinjiang?

The vocational education and training centers established in Xinjiang, in accordance with the law, were vocational training institutions in nature, aiming to eradicate breeding grounds for terrorism and extremism that currently plague many Western societies. Such practices complied with the principles and spirit of a series of counter-terrorism resolutions adopted by the UN, and are essentially the same as the United Kingdom's "Desistance and Disengagement Programme," the US' "community corrections" and France's de-radicalization program rather than "concentration camps" or "gulags." 

Is there any 'forced labor' in Xinjiang?

Since 2018, 151,000 people from poverty-stricken families from southern Xinjiang have found employment away from their homes. Most of them work in other parts of Xinjiang, while approximately 14,700 work outside the autonomous region with the help of fellow villagers and relatives, or through human resource agencies. Those who work outside Xinjiang have a right to their respective customs, language, culture, and religious beliefs, fully guaranteed under relevant laws and the Constitution itself.

Some detractors claimed that numerous Uygurs are forced to harvest cotton, thereby sullying the global supply chain. However, they ignored the fact that cotton production in Xinjiang has been highly mechanized. Even at the peak of farming season, there is no need for a multitude of "cotton pickers" as might have been observed in cotton producing areas across the globe in the last century. 

Meanwhile, in order to make a living and in pursuit of a good life, people in Xinjiang work hard to shake off poverty, become self-reliant and support their families. Where can "force" be found in this achieving this goal, which is driven by the same personal desires shared by many diligent breadwinners around the world?

Is there any 'compulsory sterilization' in Xinjiang?

Adrian Zenz, a German who has never set foot in Xinjiang in recent years, claimed that "80 percent of the new intrauterine device (IUD) insertion procedures in China in 2018 were performed in Xinjiang" and "the natural population growth rate in Hotan and Kashgar areas of Xinjiang in 2018 was only 2.58‰."

However, he is completely lacking in his "evidence." According to China's Health Statistics Yearbook 2019, the number of new IUD insertion procedures in Xinjiang in 2018 came in at 328,475, accounting for only 8.7 percent of China's total.

Photo: VCG

Is there any 'systemic sexual assault' in Xinjiang?

Well, why don't we listen to what those directly involved are saying? 

On February 3, at the Online Event "Xinjiang is a Wonderful Land" jointly organized by the Permanent Mission of China in Geneva and the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, many female trainees who graduated from vocational training centers shared their personal experiences with the audience. They declared that so-called sexual assault and torture allegations were complete nonsense.

Former US secretary of state Pompeo said that he wanted to "justify justice" for Xinjiang people, especially Uygurs. But many Uygurs have stepped forth pointing out that his statements are nothing but crocodile tears.

Recently, a video of Xinjiang villagers bidding farewell to village officials moved countless Chinese and foreign netizens. Numerous people say that these were the true outbursts of sentiment. Since 2016, in various activities concerning ethnic unity carried out by and in Xinjiang, more than 1.1 million officials and workers and 1.6 million people of different ethnic groups have forged true friendships. The interactions have reinforced local initiatives that preserve and propagate cultural awareness, inspiring stories of friendship among ordinary Chinese people.

Due to the success of Xinjiang-related policies, more ordinary Uyghur people, from the elderly to the young, have come forward to share the truth and question the liars. 

What's more, the average life expectancy in Xinjiang has increased from 30 to 72 years in the past 60 years; the Uygur population has increased by 25 percent from 2010 to 2018. Is there any "genocide" in the world where there's population increase of the very group alleged to have been targeted? So, why do some Westerners insist on inventing lies, despite their being obviously baseless? Why do some Westerners "cry for" human rights in Xinjiang, ignoring the deplorable state of their countries' own human rights record? Why are some Westerners so fixated on Muslims in Xinjiang while turning a blind eye to the suffering of Muslims in their own backyards?

To put it bluntly, "using Xinjiang to control China" is just another weapon in the arsenal of the US and the West against China, and "genocide" being another. 

Female workers at a cotton processing plant in Xinjiang Photo: Yu Jincui/GT

To hinder China's development under the guise of 'human rights'

Xinjiang is located along the northwestern border of China and occupies one-sixth of the country's land mass. It has been the frontier of China's trade route since ancient times. 

Now, the joint development of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the building of the China-Europe freight train network have not only brought benefits to countries across Eurasia and revitalized economies along the route, but also made Xinjiang an increasingly important hub in connecting the Chinese, Central Asian and European markets, just as it did when the tea and silk merchants crossed the same routes on camels since before modern times.

What's more, Xinjiang is well known for its idyllic scenery and as a paradise for gourmands due to its famous high-quality produce. In this aspect, Xinjiang is the same as other great farming regions of the world from Italy to New Zealand, where travelers are often impressed by the local spirit of hard work, passion for life, and desire to succeed. 

For example, Xinjiang is one of the world's three major tomato production regions, and its tomato quality far exceeds domestic and international standards. Xinjiang is also a leader in the global cotton textile industry. In 2020, its cotton production accounted for 87.3 percent of China's overall production, and cotton products from Xinjiang are highly sought after both at home and abroad.

"Coincidentally," the US used "forced labor" as an excuse to announce a ban on the imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that the US is trying to block the Belt and Road Initiative by labeling Xinjiang textiles and tomato products as "slave labor" products, so that the cotton and tomatoes will be left rotting in Xinjiang's fields. The "forced labor" label is nothing but a tool of unfair trade restrictions.



To discredit the CPC and China by hijacking international law

According to international law and practice, the "crime of genocide" in Pompeo's words generally refers to "deliberately destroying an ethnic, national, racial or religious group in whole or in part," and is globally recognized as the "crime of crimes."

Speaking of genocide, people naturally think of the tragic holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II. Thus, because of the painful historical lessons from the West that the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution as early as 1946, stating the graveness of genocide in international law. 

Obviously, the delusion of the rumormongers aims to pin the label of "genocide" on China, thereby inciting instinctive fear and disgust from the world, and portraying China as an inhumane and unjust land, so as to trigger a fresh round of "international moral attacks" and put diplomatic and political pressure on China.

How does the BBC apply "results before evidence" principles when reporting on China? Graphic: Xu Zihe, Feng Qingyin/GT

To gain political capital by slandering Xinjiang

As a Chinese saying goes, the villain's calculations are as clear as broad daylight. Pompeo posted "1384 days" on his personal Twitter immediately after leaving office. This is exactly the countdown to the 2024 US presidential Election Day. Pompeo's political ambitions couldn't be clearer.

On the last day of his term in office, Pompeo declared on behalf of the US State Department that the Chinese government was "committing genocide and crimes against humanity" in Xinjiang.

In addition to leaving more trouble for the upcoming Biden administration, it was more important for him to squeeze the last drops from the post of US secretary of state, win the support of 74 million Trump fans, and gain political capital for a possible presidential run in the future.

However, the US' attempt to label China as "genocidal" is doomed to failure. Here's why:

First, what is true can never become false, and what is false can never become true.

We know from experience that the US' suppression of another country is always a fixed routine of pulling off a hat trick: The first goal is to control public opinion and discredit the reputation of that country, the second is to sanction the country and third to call on US allies to pile on pressure on the country. 

As a veteran player in the court of public opinion, the US and the West have long been adept at using their platforms to manipulate public opinion when they seek to bully other countries.

But, in comparison with the undeniable achievements resulting from China's Xinjiang-related policies, the rumors and smears made up by anti-China forces are ridiculously flawed to withstand scrutiny. How can facts and truth be stained by lies, arrogance and prejudice?

Second, the "crime of genocide" cannot be determined on a groundless basis.

According to international law and practice, acts of genocide include the killing, causing of serious bodily or mental harm, the deliberate imposition of inhuman living conditions, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children from one social group to another group. 

The lies fabricated by the US such as "concentration camps," "forced sterilization" and "forced migration" blatantly attempt to depict China as a fomenter of organized "genocide."

It is no wonder that the international community has made a fair judgment on Xinjiang. Thirty-seven countries previously sent letters to the United Nations expressing their support for China's Xinjiang policies, and half of them are Muslim countries. Even Japan, a close US ally, also publicly stated its belief that China had not carried out "genocide" in Xinjiang.

Third, how can you blame others if you yourself are also tainted?

Speaking of "genocide," the US has had a history of acts that amount to its very same definition. Over the course of a century since its founding, the US expelled and killed native Indians in the Westward Movement, causing the Indian population to drop from 5 million to 250,000. Indians used to be the main population of North America, but now the population demographic in the US stands at only 2 percent of the total population. It is reasonable to ask if the US itself doesn't have blood-stained hands when it comes to genocide.

A poll shows that 75 percent of American Muslims believe that the American society severely discriminates against Muslims. As Harvard University Professor Steve Kelman said, the only Muslims in the world that the US likes are the Muslims in Xinjiang, and that Pompeo doesn't really care about Muslim nations in the Arab World because he is anti-Muslim.

The US has also repeatedly perpetrated international crimes, for which it has long been criticized. The International Criminal Court is investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the US military in Afghanistan. In order to stop the investigation, the US imposed sanctions on the court and related personnel, which was ridiculed internationally. The US also illegally invaded Iraq, indiscriminately killing prisoners of war and civilians as it did so. What's more, there were frequent reports of torture of prisoners such as using electric shock and starvation in the infamous Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, acts that cannot be challenged in the US court system.

Thus, people of insight in the world should have already made their own judgment on who is the lying hypocrite.  

The fallacy of "freedom, democracy and human rights" trumpeted by the West is little more than a fig leaf for their sins in history and a charade. Their lies will remain lies, and justice and truth will ultimately prevail.