US urged not to back anti-China separatists

Beijing urged Washington on Monday to stop siding with anti-China separatists so as to avoid harming its own interests.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remark after United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Central Asian nations should reject Chinese demands to repatriate ethnic minorities to China in a meeting on Sunday with the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.

Geng said at a daily news conference that China asks the US to abandon its double standard in anti-terrorism issues, stop making irresponsible remarks about the Xinjiang issue and stop condoning and supporting the terrorist forces of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

He said the lies of US politicians will not fool others but only expose their ulterior political motives.

"The relevant US politicians have repeatedly smeared and defamed China's Xinjiang policy in total disregard of facts. It was flagrant interference in China's domestic affairs, which fully revealed the double standard approach the US has adopted regarding anti-terrorism issues," the spokesman said.

China deplored and opposed that, he said. Geng added that the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's affairs are China's internal affairs and brook no outside interference.

China issued a white paper in August giving a full account of the vocational education and training centers in the region. The paper clarified the legal basis for the training centers and declared a key victory against terrorism and extremism through these centers.

The efforts made by China are not different, in essence, from measures taken by other countries, including the US, in combating extremism and preventing terrorism, Geng said.

No terrorist attacks have occurred in Xinjiang over the past three years, and the government's measures to combat terrorism and safeguard stability are widely supported by the people of all ethnic groups in the region, he said.

According to Geng, many foreign officials who visited a training center have commended the Chinese government's work in combating and preventing terrorism according to law, and commented that they believe Xinjiang's successful experience is worth learning.

"These cannot be vilified or denied by remarks made by some individuals in the US," he added.