Lianhe Zaobao:

My question is about human rights issues in Xinjiang. What is your response to the perception of some international opinion that the human rights of the Uygurs there are being violated? Also, what are the priorities for the next phase in terms of human rights for ethnic minorities? Are there any more prominent issues that you will focus on next? Thank you.

Li Xiaojun:

Let me say a few words first and then I will give the floor to Mr. Zhang. There has been a large amount of hype about human rights in Xinjiang. When I was attending a United Nations meeting in 2018, some countries were engaged in political manipulation of human rights issues related to Xinjiang. They are still making irresponsible remarks on Xinjiang. In fact, the past five years have been the best five years for the development of human rights in China's Xinjiang, with significant improvements in people's living standards and great achievements in poverty eradication, with all poor counties removed from the poverty list and all people in absolute poverty lifted out of poverty. Therefore, the achievements in human rights development in Xinjiang have been great, and deliberate smears by some members of the international community are purely unfounded.

The same is true with regard to ethnic minorities. China's ethnic minorities, whether in terms of economic development, social development or ethnic unity, culture and education, freedom of religious belief and many other aspects, can also be said to have reached the best level in recent decades. 

Zhang Yonghe:

I have some points to add about this question. Some Western countries have questioned the guarantee of human rights in Xinjiang, and their accusations are purely unfounded. I have been doing research in Xinjiang for more than a decade, focusing on primary construction in rural areas and employment issues. I hope you can give your attention to the official website of the Human Rights Institute of Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL), where you can find many published paper reports responding to the issue. We are working on other related reports, which will be released on our website when available, so please stay tuned.

Li Xiaomei:

Just now the reporter mentioned international public opinion, and I would like to add a figure. During the 46th Session of the UNHRC, in response to some countries' attacks and smears against China on Xinjiang-related issues, a total of 64 countries made a joint statement to support China's justified position and measures on Xinjiang-related issues. Together with those countries that supported China through separate speeches and statements, nearly 100 countries voiced their support for China's policies on Xinjiang at the UNHRC, and they opposed interference in China's internal affairs, which fully reflects the trend of popular sentiment in the international society and indicates that people can tell right and wrong. Thank you.