China urged the United States on Monday to stop interfering in China's internal affairs, saying China will fight back if the U.S. insists on doing so. 

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing while commenting on U.S. sanctions against the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and two Chinese officials in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 

Wang said the U.S. practice constitutes serious interference in China's internal affairs, and severely violates basic norms governing international relations, adding "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns that."

Noting Xinjiang-related issues are not issues about human rights, ethnicity or religion at all, but about combating violent terrorism and separatism, the spokesperson said Xinjiang affairs are entirely China's internal affairs, and the United States has no right and is in no position to intervene.  

Living in harmony with local ethnic groups, the XPCC has made important contributions to promoting the development of Xinjiang, enhancing social unity, maintaining social stability and consolidating frontier defense, Wang said. 

He stressed that the Chinese government is determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, combat violent terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, and oppose foreign interference in Xinjiang affairs and China's other internal affairs. 

"We urge the United States to immediately rescind its wrong decision and stop making any remarks or moves that interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's interests," Wang said, adding that the Chinese side will firmly fight back if the United States obstinately pursues such agenda. 

(Cover: People attend a culture and tourism festival themed on Dolan and Qiuci culture in Awat County of Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, October 25, 2019. /Xinhua)