China appreciates 37 foreign ambassadors' joint letter supporting Xinjiang policy

BEIJING -- China on Monday voiced appreciation of a letter jointly signed by 37 foreign ambassadors to UN at Geneva supporting China's position on issues related to Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Ambassadors of 37 countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Russia and Cuba, on Friday sent a joint letter to the President of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In the letter, they positively evaluated the human rights developments in China's Xinjiang and its counter-terrorism and de-radicalization outcomes.

China appreciates these countries' objectivity and fairness, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing.

In the letter, the ambassadors said they noted "with appreciation" that human rights are respected and protected in China in the process of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization.

"China has invited a number of diplomats, international organizations officials and journalists to Xinjiang to witness the progress of the human rights cause and the outcomes of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization there," they said, adding that what they saw and heard in Xinjiang completely contradicted what was reported in Western media.

"We call on relevant countries to refrain from employing unfounded charges against China based on unconfirmed information before they visit Xinjiang," the ambassadors stressed.

Geng said that with the grave challenge of terrorism and extremism, a series of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, including the setting up of vocational education and training centers, have reversed the security situation in Xinjiang.

The past three years have not seen any terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, and people there support the government's measures with a stronger sense of happiness, fulfillment and security, Geng said.

Facts speak louder than words, Geng said, stressing that the joint letter was signed by ambassadors from Asian, African, and Latin American countries, many of which are member states of Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

This letter is a strong response to a few Western countries' groundless accusations against China, Geng stressed.

He reiterated that China is committed to working with all parties to push forward multilateral human rights mechanisms to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, deal with human rights issues in an objective, impartial and non-selective manner, and promote healthy development of the international human rights cause through constructive dialogue and cooperation.

The Chinese side opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs at the platform of the UN Human Rights Council, unwarrantedly pointing fingers at other countries, and publicly exerting pressures, Geng said.

"We urge relevant countries to immediately change course, abandon politicization and double standards, and stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs in the name of human rights," said the spokesperson.