Xinjiang respects, protects freedom of religious belief: white paper

BEIJING - Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region protects freedom of religious belief and ensures orderly practice of religion, said a white paper issued on Sunday.

Believers are free to engage in lawful religious activities, including worship, fasting, and observance of religious festivals, in accordance with religious doctrines, canons and traditions, at religious venues or in their homes, according to the white paper, "Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data," issued by the State Council Information Office.

To meet believers' legitimate religious needs, Xinjiang has been actively improving the conditions of religious venues and their surrounding environments by means of renovation and relocation, expanding existing facilities and building new ones, providing greater convenience for religious believers, it said.

The accusations of "religious persecution" by anti-China forces are completely baseless, said the white paper.