Interview: China's white paper on Xinjiang important for knowing real Xinjiang - Jordanian expert

AMMAN -- The Chinese white paper on protecting the rights of Xinjiang's ethnic groups provides the international community with a good opportunity to understand the real Xinjiang, a Jordanian expert on the Arab-China relations has said.

"The white paper explains in detail how China has put in place a whole vision for Xinjiang, focusing on its well-rounded development," Samer Khair Ahmed recently told Xinhua, referring to the document titled "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang," which was issued by China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

Noting that the white paper has illustrated the realities and developments in Xinjiang with abundant statistics and facts, the expert pointed out that the document contains rich details on how the ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have been enjoying constantly improving living standard, and practicing religion freely.

All these positive results were made possible by the Chinese government's "people-centered" approach, which is the apparent opposite of some Western media's rumors and distortions, he said.

For Ahmed, who has been studying the Chinese society for several decades and has published two books on China so far, fabricating so-called "oppression of minorities" is a usual method used by some U.S. politicians to pressure other countries and cause chaos.

China's outstanding achievements and its vision of a community with a shared future for mankind have gained increasing recognition across the globe, but are considered by Washington and some of its allies as threats to their hegemony, Ahamad said.

"Therefore, they continue to slander China, intending to use issues related to Xinjiang to discredit and restrain China," he said.

The Jordanian expert, who visited Xinjiang in 2017, spoke highly of the developments he witnessed there.

Regarding the "forced labor" accusations, Ahmed deemed them as part of some West forces' campaign to destabilize Xinjiang and contain China.

"As a Muslim and an Arab, I saw how the Uygurs preserved their culture and traditions, whether in food, music or heritage," he said.

There is no doubt that the Chinese government has shared the fruits of reform and development with people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, he said.