China on Wednesday voiced strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition over a Xinjiang-related motion passed by Canada's House of Commons, saying the move wantonly interfered in China's internal affairs and made malicious provocation against Chinese people.
Canada's House of Commons on Monday passed a motion claiming China's treatment of the Uygur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region constitutes "genocide."
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You Wenze, spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, pointed out the motion is a gross misrepresentation of facts and a wanton attack on China's Xinjiang policy.
The spokesperson noted that the Chinese Constitution, the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, and other laws make clear provisions for safeguarding the development and rights of ethnic minorities, and people from all walks of life in Xinjiang, including women of all ethnic groups, enjoy all human rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws.
From 2010 to 2018, the Uygur population in Xinjiang rose from 10.17 million to 12.72 million, an increase of 2.55 million or 25 percent, You said, adding that the growth rate is higher than that of the whole population in Xinjiang, which is 14 percent, and much higher than that of the Han population, which is 2 percent.
The so-called "genocide" is total nonsense, he said, adding that there are also no so-called "detention camps" or "re-education camps" in Xinjiang.
The vocational education and training centers established in Xinjiang in accordance with the law were education and training institutions in nature and were preventive counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures taken by Xinjiang, You said.
He said the relevant measures implemented the idea of using development, education, and other resources to curb extremist ideologies, as advocated in the UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and fully complied with the principles and spirit of a series of international counter-terrorism resolutions, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
The spokesperson pointed out Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures have achieved positive results as there have been no violent terrorist cases for over four consecutive years in the region.
You also said what the Canadian politicians did exposed their hypocrisy and malicious intention to contain Xinjiang's development and to interfere in China's internal affairs.
"We urge these people to fully understand the seriousness of the motion and immediately stop the wrongful practice of interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Xinjiang, so as to avoid further poisoning the atmosphere of China-Canada relations and causing new damage to the bilateral ties," You added.