Chinese embassy sends letter to The Economist to refute untrue story about Xinjiang

LONDON - The Chinese embassy in Britain has written to the British weekly magazine The Economist to refute the untrue story in its recent article about China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to a statement released Friday by the embassy.

On Feb 13, The Economist published an article, which made groundless accusations against China's policy of Xinjiang disregarding the repeated public statements of position and facts by the Chinese side, said the letter sent by the embassy.

"We strongly object to and firmly oppose it," it said.

Some Western anti-China forces have concocted "the lies of the century" to slander China's Xinjiang policy and some western media have been hyping up and spreading them deliberately, said the letter.

"The Uyghur population in Xinjiang has doubled over the past 40 years and more. Has anyone ever seen such a 'genocide'?!" said the letter.

The letter noted that there were vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang, which are no different in nature from the Desistance and Disengagement Programme (DDP) of the UK, or the de-radicalisation centers in France.

"They are all useful and positive explorations of preventative and de-radicalisation measures. There are simply no 're-education camps'," stated the letter.

Xinjiang has never been more prosperous than it is now, with unprecedented achievements in socio-economic development and improvement of people's lives, said the letter, adding that residents in Xinjiang are living a happy life in a stable environment.

"This is the real Xinjiang. These facts are the best refutation of those lies," it said.

In recent years, more than 1,200 diplomats, journalists and representatives of religious groups from more than 100 countries have visited Xinjiang, and witnessed with their own eyes the unity, harmony, joy and peace enjoyed by the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, said the letter.

"We urge The Economist to acknowledge the facts, adhere to the principle of objective and fair journalism, discard the prejudice against China and stop the groundless vilification of China's Xinjiang," it said.