Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday slammed U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan’s groundless concerns over a senior UN official’s visit to China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
According to the White House, Sullivan spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on June 14 to complain about the recent trip made by the head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, to Xinjiang and referred to such a visit as "highly inappropriate."
He also claimed that Voronkov is putting at risk the UN’s reputation and credibility on counterterrorism and human rights.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China strongly rejected the U.S. false accusations during a press briefing held on Monday.
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He said the remarks by Sullivan were "extremely absurd" given that Voronkov’s visit in Xinjiang June 13-15 has received positive comments from the UN and the international community, strengthening China's cooperation with the UN in international counterterrorism.
According to Lu, Voronkov learned about China's anti-terrorism and deradicalization efforts during his visit to Xinjiang.
The Chinese side has also openly invited other foreign officials, diplomatic envoys, journalists and scholars to visit.
"After the field visit, many people expressed that the visit was very helpful for them to understand the real situation in Xinjiang. They all positively evaluated the measures taken by the Chinese government and believed that China's strategy is worth learning," the spokesperson said.