The so-called "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics by the U.S. and other Western countries in the name of protecting human rights is a self-directed political farce and violates the Olympic spirit, said a spokesperson of the people's government of northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region Thursday.
In response to accusations of "forced labor," Xu Guixiang told a press briefing in Beijing that it is a false assertion and stressed that the rights and interests of workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are protected by law. Xinjiang has been strictly implementing the country's labor law.
He added that there is only one reason that can explain why specific anti-China forces in the U.S. and other Western countries are indifferent to the truths in Xinjiang: to use lies to interfere with China's internal affairs and hold back China's peaceful development.
International sports events like the Olympic Games provide a platform for athletes across the globe to strengthen exchanges and friendships. However, it is not a platform for Western countries to stage a political grandstanding show. Xu said such troublemakers violated the noble Olympic spirit and were doomed to failure.
Elijan Anayat, another spokesperson of the regional government, said that U.S. cotton-related sanctions went against market rules and truth, hence disrupting worldwide production and the industry chain.
He pointed out that China's cotton industry is a critical link in the global cotton industry chain; therefore, any attempt to destroy the Chinese cotton industry is equivalent to damaging the worldwide cotton industry chain and seriously harming workers' rights and interests.
With the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games approaching, ice and snow sports are becoming more and more popular in Xinjiang. The Games also provide many opportunities for local sport and tourism development.
Gul Ablim, the director of Xinjiang's sports bureau, said that the region has provided services for 841 athletes from 24 national teams to complete their training on winter sports since last October. In line with local conditions, the regional government aimed to build Xinjiang into a winter sports hub, she said.
According to Xu, Xinjiang has built 72 ski resorts, and some 400 theme events featuring winter sports have been held to attract tourists across the country.
In addition, Xinjiang enjoys a long tradition and culture of skiing. Altay prefecture of Xinjiang is the origin of human skiing activities. In the past, herders in the Altay Mountains used fur snowboards for hunting and traveling. Nowadays, the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort in Altay has become a well-known tourism destination with a daily capacity of 7,000 visitors.
