China welcomes foreigners to visit Xinjiang: spokesperson

BEIJING - China welcomes foreign people from all walks of life to visit and take a look at Xinjiang, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing when responding to a question on China inviting representatives from the EU and its member states to visit Xinjiang.

"In the past few years, more than 1,200 diplomats, journalists and religious figures from more than 100 countries have visited Xinjiang," said Wang, adding that through field visits, they have learned the actual situation in Xinjiang and held that what they have seen in Xinjiang is completely different from the reports of some Western media.

China welcomes diplomats from the EU and its member states to visit Xinjiang and has sent out multiple invitations, said Wang, adding that China tried its best to make thoughtful arrangements for them in accordance with their wishes and has shown the greatest sincerity and flexibility.

However, it is regrettable that the European side has kept delaying the visits and made some unreasonable demands including meeting with criminals sentenced for engaging in separatist activities, Wang said.

"It makes people feel that as long as China does not follow what the European side asked, they are not interested in visiting Xinjiang," said the spokesperson.

"This is obviously a provocative move that ignores Chinese law and interferes in China's judicial sovereignty," said Wang.

The door of Xinjiang is wide open, and China's invitation and sincerity remain unchanged; however, a visiting mission should not be an "investigative mission" based on the presumption of guilt, Wang noted.