The embassy said on Monday that the spokesperson issued the rebuttal via leading Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot after certain Israeli media outlets published false reports concerning the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, China's fundamental law on ethnic affairs. 
 
Allegations of "forced assimilation," "overseas police stations," and "cross-border suppression" are nothing but political lies and deliberate smears, said the spokesperson. 
 
There are no so‑called “reeducation camps” in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The vocational skills training centers established in accordance with law in Xinjiang are educational in nature and represent a valuable attempt and proactive exploration in preventive counter‑terrorism and de‑radicalization, the spokesperson said.
 
The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile engaged in anti‑China separatist activities under the cloak of religion, and is by no means qualified to represent the people in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, the spokesperson added.
 
China is a unified multi‑ethnic country. Under the Constitution, the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, and other relevant laws, the lawful rights and interests of all ethnic minority groups are fully protected, and the relationships of equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony among all ethnic groups are effectively upheld, according to the spokesperson.
 
The Chinese government protects, in accordance with law, the freedom of ethnic minorities to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, and safeguards the freedom of religious belief of all ethnic groups in accordance with law, the spokesperson noted. 
 
The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law is a law that upholds the fundamental and overall interests of the Chinese nation, and its formal implementation will provide a solid legal guarantee for the cause of ethnic unity and progress, and for all ethnic groups across the country to jointly advance Chinese modernization, said the spokesperson.
 
Ethnic unity is the cornerstone of enduring national stability, a safeguard for public interests and the basic rights of the people, and the most important form of human rights protection. Israel similarly emphasizes the unity of Jewish communities worldwide and advocates social diversity, coexistence and equal opportunities. Any words or deeds that seek to create ethnic division or stoke ethnic confrontation should be condemned and firmly stopped, the spokesperson said.
 
“We hope that certain Israeli media will view China’s ethnic policies in a rational and objective light, stop spreading disinformation, stop sensationalizing and defaming China, and make more efforts conducive to mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides,” said the spokesperson.
 

Global Times