Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

China on Friday expressed firm opposition to certain countries' malicious smear of China's ethnic policies, interference in China's internal affairs and undermining ethnic unity in China, urging them to stop spreading lies, hyping so-called ethnic issues and interfering in China's internal affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Friday in response to a question regarding US and EU's concerns over China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law. 

Certain countries are clinging to ideological prejudice and engaging in political manipulation, ignoring China's achievements in economic and social development as well as human rights governance, and have maliciously distorted China's ethnic policies, fabricated and spread false information, interfered in China's internal affairs, and undermined ethnic unity in China, Guo said. 

Guo stressed that China is a unified multiethnic country where all ethnic groups enjoy relations characterized by equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony. Strengthening the rule of law, he said, helps better protect the lawful rights and interests of all ethnic groups and promotes ethnic unity.

Guo added that the Chinese government has consistently attached great importance to protecting the cultures of ethnic minorities and, in accordance with the law, safeguards the rights of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages. He said China's policies and achievements in this regard have received broad support from the international community.

Guo urged relevant countries to respect basic facts, stop spreading lies, cease hyping so-called ethnic issues, and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs.