On June 1, 2020, the Information Office of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held the 9th press conference on Xinjiang related issues. The press conference invited Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR Elijan Anayit, Director of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of XUAR Rehmanjan Dawut, Deputy Director of the Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of XUAR Kurexi Yusuf, Director of the Health Commission of XUAR Mutalip Rozi, Director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of XUAR Mehmut Usman, Director of the Education Bureau of Hotan City Metiroz Ufu, to answer questions from the press.

Moderator: Dear friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the 9th press conference on Xinjiang-related issues.

The invitees of today's press conference are the Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR Elijan Anayit, the Director of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of XUAR Rehmanjan Dawut, the Deputy Director of the Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of XUAR Kurexi Yusuf, the Director of the Health Commission of XUAR Mutalip Rozi, the Director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of XUAR Mehmut Usman, the Director of the Education Bureau of Hotan City Metiroz Ufu. They will answer questions from you.

Our friends from the press, please raise your hands to ask questions. Before asking questions, please introduce the name of the news press you are in.

Q: Reporter from Xinjiang Daily: What are the guiding principles Xinjiang follows in ensuring and improving its people's livelihood? What has been done and how do people feel about it?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit.

A: Livelihood issues are of vital importance to people's interests and well being. Xinjiang adheres to people-oriented development ideas, making wellbeing improvement of the people of all ethnicities as the departure point and the ultimate goal of its work. Xinjiang allocates more than 70% of its public expenditure on employment, education, healthcare, social security and government subsidized housing, so as to lay a solid foundation for the happiness of its people and a harmonious society.

Firstly, exert utmost efforts to create jobs. We will prioritize employment for college graduates, urban and rural surplus laborers, and underprivileged population, and establishing more job and business platforms; intensify vocational and skills training; provide public service jobs for urban and rural zero-employment households, making sure that every family with employable members has at least one person employed.

Secondly, improve education that satisfies people's expectations. Solid efforts have been made to develop preschool education, consolidate compulsory education, strengthen high school education, promote vocational education, and steadily improve higher education. Nine-year compulsory education has become available throughout Xinjiang and 15-year free education in southern Xinjiang has reached full coverage to ensure that every school-age child could access fair and high-quality education.

Third, improve healthcare to benefit people more. We will continue with the free annual health check-ups for our residents, expand coverage of personal accident insurance and critical illness insurance for urban and rural residents, and step up prevention of and treatment for major infectious and endemic diseases. We will strengthen primary level health care service system, enhance its service level, and make medical care more affordable and accessible for local residents.

Fourth, enhance social security net. We will make an all-out effort to implement the insurance-for-all project, improving urban and rural subsistence allowance system, old age pension scheme, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance and social relief, and expanding the coverage of social security. All registered impoverished people in Xinjiang have been covered by the basic medical insurance, and the urban- rural subsistence allowance standards have seen sustained increase over the years, with 2.68-billion-yuan-worth of benefits been dispensed since 2020, to all the 1.81 million eligible recipients.

Fifth, implement government-subsidized housing project. Solid efforts have been made to advance the subsidized housing projects for rural and low income urban families, and to conclude the renovation of dilapidated houses for the poor rural households. The coal-to-electricity (phase one) annual targets for the provision of heating for people in the region's four prefectures will be finished to schedule. All villages across the region now are connected by paved roads, electricity cables and optic fiber, and have access to bus services. Great changes have taken place in all our villages and strides of progress towards a modern and cultured way of life have been realized among people of all ethnicities.

We have made tremendous achievements in ensuring and improving people's livelihood in Xinjiang, which strengthened people's sense of gain, happiness and security, and they are working and living in peace and contentment, harmony and prosperity with promising future. People of all ethnic groups are satisfied that the government has addressed their immediate concerns and grievances. With jobs to do, money to earn, and a predictable future to hope for, people now live an increasingly happier and rewarding life. Some people express that "We have new houses to live in; our kids can receive good education; we have clean water to drink; we have access to recreation facilities and medical service." Living a well-off life is no longer a dream. And some people say: "A series of favorable policies by the government has benefited us a lot. The best is yet to come. We are looking forward to the future with confidence and hope." Here is a video for your reference.

Q: Reporter from Global Times: What specific measures has Xinjiang taken to promote employment, especially that of the ethnic minorities in southern Xinjiang? Some foreign media reported that there has been mass forced labor in Xinjiang. What is your comment on that?

Moderator: This question goes to Rehmanjan Dawut.

A: Employment is the top priority that concerns every household. Xinjiang has always attached great importance to promoting employment as the first and foremost project that is of immediate significance to people's livelihood, winning people's hearts and maintaining social stability. Great efforts have been made to institute proactive employment policies to create quality jobs and realize full employment for people of all ethnic groups. In these efforts, Xinjiang, by strictly following the laws and regulations, insists on the principle of "workers finding their own jobs, employment through market regulation and employment encouraged and promoted by the government."

Firstly, fully mobilize the laborers' initiative and enthusiasm with improved labor skills and completely unleash their potentials to find jobs or start businesses themselves for stable employment. In recent couple years, laborers of all ethnicities, particularly those from southern Xinjiang have walked out of their villages and worked at factories and companies for employment, and the idea of getting better life through self-employment has been widely welcomed. For instance, Abulkem Kadir, a villager from Ocha Township, Yengisar County of Kashgar Prefecture, left his hometown for a job in Qingdao City of China's eastern Shandong Province in 2010, and every time he returned home during holidays, his fellow villagers consulted him about work and life there and his employment experiences. In another case, Pashiagul Kerem, a grazing girl from impoverished Bortukoy Township, Wuqia County of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, shook off poverty after finding a job at an enterprise in Guangdong Province with a lot higher pay. Inspired by her experience, more than 200 fellow villagers followed her suit and got employed in other places.

Secondly, give full play to job markets in promoting employment to guide workforce to flow in a rational and orderly way based on demand and supply. Both employers and employees exercise full freedom in job hunting and hiring and the demand-supply dynamics are adjusted in line with market-based wage rates. At present, laborers who want to find jobs will go to the local job market and the companies will accordingly solve their difficulties of short of hands at the markets. For example, since 2014, Aksu Prefectural Job Market has held 621 job fairs, at which 4,953 employers were present and 38,600 workers landed jobs.

Thirdly, government plays a central role in employment promotion and the implementation of employment priority strategy. Labor-intensive industries, medium- and small-size businesses, modern service industries have been encouraged to increase job opportunities and expand urban and rural workforce. Positive employment policies, such as tax preferences, social insurance subsidies and entrepreneurship loan guarantees, have been adopted to encourage employers to absorb more laborers. Public employment services and management of job markets have been strengthened to ensure equal participation of laborers with various backgrounds. Skills training programs have been provided specially to those who have difficulties in finding jobs, such as rural surplus labors, laid-off workers and the disabled to improve their abilities of self-employment. For example, in Kashgar Prefecture, companies engaged in textile and garment, agricultural and sideline products processing, electronics assembly have been introduced and supported in industrial parks and are encouraged to expand their presence to rural areas. By the end of 2019, 1,406 industrial companies had settled in various industrial parks across the region with an employment of 84,000 workers. In Bayingol Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, 10 million yuan special funds has been granted to 2,870 start-ups, and 11.91 million yuan guaranteed loans for 260 entrepreneurs. Hotan Prefecture has gradually enhanced its efforts in establishing a public employment service platform with public job markets set up in the seven counties and one city under its jurisdiction and labor security offices in townships and urban communities, and labor security information-collecting staff in every village to make sure the full coverage of employment service network. In 2019, the employment service agencies at all levels in Hotan provided service for more than 300,000 people in policy publicity, employment consultation, unemployment and recruitment information registration, employment assistance, etc., and released over 20,000 pieces of job information through various platforms.

It can be concluded that the process of realizing stable employment is the two-way choice process between the laborers' will and employers' demand. What the government needs to do is to create a sound labor and employment environment to create conditions for people of all ethnic groups to find preferred jobs with desired incomes. Since 2014, the annual average increased urban employment has exceeded 471,200, and the annual average rural surplus laborers employed through labor transfer initiatives reached 2.7625 million. More and more workers in southern Xinjiang who had difficulties in finding jobs due to lack of skills and opportunities have become active participating in skills training and seeking jobs in other parts of China to improve their lives. And as a result, the whole rural areas in southern Xinjiang have been transformed.

As for the so-called "mass forced labor in Xinjiang," we have pointed out repeatedly on multiple occasions and that these were mere fabricated accusations made up by some anti-China agencies and its followers in the United States or the West, which were totally against the facts. As cited in the provision of Forced Labor Convention issued by UN International Labor Organization, forced labor, by definition, is any work or service which people are forced to do against their will, under threat of punishment. The ethnic minorities workers from Xinjiang are a component of the whole workforce of China with all their rights protected by law and they exercise full freedom to choose what jobs they prefer to do and where. Their personal freedom is fully guaranteed, so are their ethnic customs and folkways, religious beliefs, spoken and written languages. Employers provide their workers including those from ethnic minorities with sound working and living conditions as prescribed by law to ensure they work in safety and live in comfort, so their families would have no worries about. Employees from Xinjiang and their families are all content with their salaries and how they are treated at workplace. How has this so-called forced labor come from? Here is a video for your reference.

Q: Reporter from China Global Television Network (CGTN): What are the preferential policies in education Xinjiang has taken to ensure that every child has equal access to quality education? Recently, the American think tank Rand Corporation issued a report saying that "Children of detained Xinjiang Muslims were held in preschool facilities constructed in large-scale." How would you respond to that?

Moderator: This question goes to Metiroz Ufu.

A: Xinjiang has always attached great importance to education, insisting that education should be given priority in the region's overall development with ever-increasing input to ensure that every child in Xinjiang has access to an equal and quality education. By the end of 2019, there were 6.414 million students enrolled in all kinds of educational institutions; among them 4.791 million were ethnic minorities. Preschool gross enrollment rate was 97.51% in the region, and net enrollment for primary school and junior middle school was 99.97% and 99.78% respectively, and gross enrollment for high school was 98.82%. Achievements of education progress and reform have brought benefits to more people with improved equality, and overall education quality in Xinjiang has been remarkably improved with rapid development in various education sectors at different levels.

Firstly, preschool education has been developed with solid measures. Free three-year preschool education has been carried out to cover all places with four prefectures in southern Xinjiang as the focus. In recent years, governments at various levels in Xinjiang have invested 16.3 billion yuan in building, renovating or expanding 4,408 rural kindergartens, realized full coverage of free preschool education in rural areas. Kids aged four to six all go to kindergartens near their homes where they could also enjoy free lunch, snacks and fruit every day.

Secondly, compulsory education has been reinforced. Standardized construction of compulsory education institutions and county-wide balanced development of compulsory education have been intensified. 69 counties, cities and districts have passed on-site national balanced compulsory education evaluation, accounting for 70.4% of all schools across the region; and 87 counties, cities and districts have passed regional evaluation with a coverage of 88.8%, indicating a remarkable progress in both school facilitates and teaching quality in Xinjiang. 96% of junior middle school graduates could go on to study at high schools, which highlights diversified and specialty development with better facilities and conditions. All students are included in educational institutions according to their merits.

Thirdly, boarding schools have been improved. In implementing the Law on Compulsory Education, Xinjiang has taken boarding school construction as an important content of the compulsory education standardization and balanced development, and addressed effectively the concerns of the families in remote farming and grazing areas by striking a balance between nearby and centralized admissions.

Fourthly, investment in education has been increased. Education has always been a key priority that merits guarantee in the region's fiscal expenditure. In 2019, average public budget for education in Xinjiang was 86.307 billion yuan, with an increase of around 4.77 billion yuan or 5.85% year-on-year. More investments went to extremely poverty-stricken areas, and 80% of education poverty alleviation special funds have been granted to four prefectures in southern Xinjiang. A multilevel scholarship and aid system has been established to support students in difficulties, including scholarships, stipends, loans, compensated part-time jobs, allowances and exemptions. Since 2017, 29.025 billion yuan has been allocated to support over 23.9431 million students from various ethnic groups. All students from poor families are covered by the system, leaving no one being deprived of education.

Fifthly, teachers have been given special care and attention. Exchange programs have been carried out among rural kindergarten heads and primary and middle school principals between southern and northern parts of Xinjiang, and qualified teachers are selected to remote and backward townships and villages from counties to further narrow down the gaps between southern and northern Xinjiang and between urban and rural areas. Recruitment for new teachers has been carried out throughout the country to bring new blood in the teaching personnel in Xinjiang plus teaching forces assigned through assistance programs for Xinjiang. Preferential policies to ensure the treatment of teachers have been furthered for them to enjoy the benefits of living allowances, favorable titles evaluation and temporary apartments. And trainings on skills and ethics have all been stressed to improve the teachers' overall quality in Xinjiang.

The nonsense published by Rand recently was a total slender to Xinjiang's education undertakings. As a matter of fact, the preschool education, after years of development, has won sincere support from its people of all ethnic groups as it has met the basic requirements for education and safeguarded the kids' right to education. For example, a parent of Qimeng Kindergarten in Hotan City said as follows: "The kindergarten is near my home, it's so convenient for my kid to walk there in less than five minutes. The kids are offered good food and teachers are so caring. When my kid is happy, I have nothing to worry." And a parent commented on Dolang Xincun Kindergarten in Aksu City where her kid goes to that "This kindergarten is just beautiful with all facilities, classrooms, activity rooms, bedrooms, toilets and closets." And in Argule Village kindergarten, Moyu County, Hotan Prefecture, a parent said: "It's so good that my kid could go to the kindergarten where the kids learn singing and dancing, telling stories and forming good habits of a healthy life. Seeing the changes of my kid, I'm really overwhelmed!" Many foreign visitors had visited the Hexie Xincun Kindergarten in Hotan County of southern Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture, they expressed in surprise that they did not expect a rural kindergarten in Xinjiang could be so well-equipped and applauded that Xinjiang government has done a great job for all ethnic groups, as the children grow up so happily here. Let me share with you a short video taken at the kindergarten.

Q: Reporter from China Daily: Access to better medical and health services is the top livelihood concern of the people. What measures have been taken to ensure the health of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang?

Moderator: This question goes to Mutalip Rozi.

A: People's health is always taken as the top priority in Xinjiang. With the constantly strengthened system of medical and health services, the capabilities of health services in Xinjiang have been greatly improved, providing people with benefits in health and well-being through wider, fairer and higher level of medical service.

Firstly, strengthen capabilities in medical and health services. A systematic urban and rural services network has been formed in Xinjiang. Infrastructure in medical and health organizations has been notably improved. The scale of professional medical workers has been constantly enlarged. By the end of 2019, there were 158,700 professional medical workers and 9,845 public health institutions, of which 42 were Grade III hospitals and 168 were Grade II. On average, for every thousand people there were 6.94 hospital beds. Medical management, medical care quality and technology application have enhanced significantly in Xinjiang. A batch of national and regional key clinical specialties departments were built, meanwhile, many specialized hospitals were constructed with qualified diagnosis and treatment levels. A three-tier remote medical care system that covers all counties, prefectures and the region has formed to ensure that people of all ethnic groups benefit from qualified medical resources.

Secondly, provide free annual physical exam for all. Since 2016, the universal health check-up project was carried out in Xinjiang to enable people of all ethnic groups to enjoy the benefits of medical and health services. All urban and rural residents are entitled to a free physical exam once a year. With an investment of 5.324 billion yuan, Xinjiang had established altogether 4,839 health check centers and deployed 123,000 medical workers. And 70.81 million people have had their health checked since 2016, the idea of check-up for prevention has been wildly accepted by the people to realize "early discovery, early diagnosis and early treatment" for illnesses.

Thirdly, effective control of endemic and epidemic diseases. Tuberculosis control and prevention has been incorporated into essential public health service in Xinjiang with its screening being put on the list of annual free health check. The special medical guarantee policy and treatment for tuberculosis patients have cured 141,000 cases. Xinjiang has witnessed no case of human plague for consecutive 24 years, as well as zero case of polio. HBV infection rate for children under 5 has been controlled to less than 1%, which fulfilled the WHO goal ahead of schedule. IDD (Iodine Deficiency Disease) has been eradicated in 96 counties, cities and districts in Xinjiang. The urban and rural hygiene campaign is gathering momentum across the region; toilet renovation program has achieved initial success. The appearances of villages have improved tremendously.

Fourthly, improve overall public health service. The financial input for public health service has increased progressively, providing 12 kinds of national basic public health services to the citizens throughout their lives free of charge. The public health equality has been improved constantly. With solid infrastructure and improved medical and health service capabilities, 899 township hospitals and 8,614 village clinics have all reached national standards. The coverage rates of basic medical insurance, serious illness insurance and personal accident insurance have reached 100%. Drug price mark-up at all the public hospitals has been scraped; hierarchical medical care protocols including 32 types of serious diseases and chronic diseases for referring patients to appropriate level of care have been put in place. Measures have been taken to push for the provision and prescribing of essential medicines at all hospitals to reduce patients' medical expenses and lessen their burden.

Fifthly, carry out poverty alleviation through health care. We have been improving the three-tiered medical security system incorporating basic medical insurance, serious illness insurance and medical relief, instituted the special treatment project for poverty-stricken population with serious illnesses — so far 37 types of serious illnesses have been included, and 99.3% of the registered impoverished households with serious illnesses have received treatment under the project. Service model of "treatment before payment" and "one-stop payment settlement" have been introduced to public hospitals in prefectures and cities for rural patients. Pair-up assistance system has been established between 63 tertiary hospitals in and out of Xinjiang and 56 hospitals in poverty-stricken counties to improve the latter's medical and health service capabilities and management levels to ensure that impoverished population could get proper treatment from professional medical workers and institutional guarantees they can rely on.

In recent years, Xinjiang has taken a series of solid measures to benefit its people with improved health care, paving a road of "healthy livelihood" for the people. People of all ethnic groups show their enthusiasm of taking national health check. If disease is detected at an earlier time then it can be cured before too late and saves medical expenses. Now people don't have to worry about medical expenses when they get sick. People's health are better guaranteed by accessing high quality medical service.

Q: Reporter from Xinjiang Daily: 2020 is the final year for the national poverty- alleviation campaign. It is understood that Kashgar Prefecture, Hotan Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture and Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in southern Xinjiang are among the most impoverished areas facing daunting tasks to rise above poverty. How will Xinjiang realize its task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the whole nation?

Moderator: This question goes to Kurexi Yusuf.

A: Southern Xinjiang's Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu and Kizilsu prefectures are among the most impoverished areas in China. Lifting all rural and impoverished counties out of poverty and eliminating absolute poverty in these areas are one of our top priorities. Xinjiang has been firmly implementing president Xi Jinping's important discourses on poverty alleviation and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and policies. By the end of 2019, 2.9232 million people under poverty from 737,600 households, 3,107 poverty-stricken villages, and 22 national improvised counties in Xinjiang had been lifted out of poverty with the poverty headcount ration reduced from to 19.4% in 2013 to 1.24%. Among them, 2.6774 million people from 656,100 households, 3,242 villages, and 26 counties were in the four prefectures of southern Xinjiang, where the poverty headcount ratio has reduced from 29.1% in 2013 to 2.21% in 2019.

2020 is the final year for the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and to win a decisive victory against poverty. Xinjiang has been firmly implementing the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee in lifting all remaining rural impoverished counties out of poverty, making arduous efforts to help the rest 165,800 people from 42,100 households, 559 villages and 10 counties get rid of poverty with no new poverty cases and no falling back to poverty, and building a moderately prosperous society at the same pace with the other parts of China. We will focus on works in following aspects:

First is to institute supervision down through all administrative levels. Officials at provincial level are sent to county and prefectural levels to supervise and guide poverty alleviation work, accordingly officials at county and prefectural levels stationed to villages, and cadres of county government departments and townships, first secretaries of poverty-stricken villages, members of working groups at villages, poverty-alleviation cadres assigned to be responsible for every registered poor household. Poverty-alleviation plan differentiates from village to village and family to family based on the actual situation, and proceeds ahead right on schedule. All plans are under supervision for their implementation with variation corrected, results guaranteed and quality controlled. Remaining steadfast to the goals and committed to crack the hardest nuts, we will surely lift all the remaining impoverished people and counties out of poverty.

Second is to fully implement the precise poverty-alleviation measures. We will adhere to the "six-point precisions" and come up with locality-specific and family- and person- specific poverty relief plans. We will earnestly press ahead with the preferential policies towards different groups of targeted people through local industrial development, transferred employment assistance, farming land redistribution and granting border ranger allowances, eco-compensation, education and social security subsides, etc. We will step up the role of industrial development and employment in poverty alleviation. Precedence will be extended to impoverished people in employment and make sure they are all employed, with able- bodied ones being in work and with stable income. At the same time, we will see to it that impoverished people who have been out of poverty make no less income and don't return to poverty.

Third is to strengthen assistance mechanism. Mechanism of dynamic monitoring and assistance will be improved and implemented to prevent the cases of falling back to poverty with indexes of incomes, supply of feeding and clothing, access to education, housing and medical care taken into consideration so that the problems could be addressed with more precision, and targeted assistance provided promptly and repeated and newly emerged poverty could be effectively reduced. Strict standards have been set up for getting rid of poverty, making poverty elimination more effective.

Fourth is to take good use of poverty relief funds. Since 2017, the regional authorities have established a poverty alleviation risk fund, with an annual injection of 2 billion yuan and an accumulated amount of 8 billion yuan up to now, to address the possible risks in the fight against poverty and cases of falling back to poverty. When necessary, the fund will be used to secure stable incomes and job opportunities for poverty-stricken population and guarantee the progress schedule and quality of poverty alleviation cause.

Fifth is to keep the current poverty relief policies in place and stable. For those counties, villages and people already lifted out of poverty, current assistance and relief polices will remain unchanged in the transitional period, so will the personnel, resources, assistance relationship committed in poverty-alleviation endeavors at various levels be maintained to effectively consolidate and expand the poverty-reduction outcomes. Persistent efforts have been made to combine poverty alleviation with boosting poor people's morale and empowering them with knowledge and skills, bringing out their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity and guiding them to change their destinies mostly through their own efforts. By doing so, poverty alleviation can generate sustainable endogenous power.

At present, Xinjiang is focusing on the target of lifting all impoverished population out of poverty and eliminating absolute poverty in line with national standards. While overcoming the effects of the novel coronavirus, we are working unremittingly to achieve the goal by the end of 2020 and make sure that every ethnic group, every poverty-stricken area, every single person from registered poor household will not be left behind on the road to a moderately prosperous society together with the whole country. Here is a video for your reference.

Q: Reporter from China Media Group: Currently, many countries around the world are heavily hit by COVID-19, with their social production and life being seriously affected. How has Xinjiang managed the epidemic prevention and control while going ahead with economic and social development?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit.

A: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Xinjiang has always taken coordination between epidemic containment and socio-economic development as a main political task and the paramount work at present. All-out efforts have been made to win "double victory" in both epidemic containment and socio-economic development. Facing the COVID-19 outbreak that caught us all by surprise, Xinjiang has comprehensively carried out the CPC Central Committee's overall requirement of shoring up confidence, strengthening unity, ensuring science-based control and treatment and imposing targeted measures. We have taken specified measures according to the principle of preventing at the source, applying science- based treatment, containing the spread, ensuring supplies and maintaining social stability, and strengthened our work in early detection, reporting, isolation and treatment of cases. On the one hand, we have resolutely cut off the transmission of the virus from the source, emphasized on curbing the spread of the outbreak both within and into our jurisdiction based on the epidemic prevention and transmission characteristics and outbreak changes, and enhanced source control and management of densely populated areas, especially prevention and control in residential communities. Science-based treatment had been applied to infected cases. The confirmed patients had been treated in dedicated hospitals by medical experts across the region and with all necessary resources. We had integrated medical resources, optimized diagnosis and treatment plans, and made every effort to improve cure rate, reduce fatality rate and ensure scientific and orderly treatment. We have effectively cut off the spread of the outbreak. The whole region has been working as one under unified command and actions. In particular, we have carried out detailed management in epidemic prevention and control as well as scientific prevention measures, highlighted prevention at key areas, and practiced differentiated and precise control, thus effectively curbing the spread of the virus. On the other hand, all-out efforts have been made in ensuring supplies. We have facilitated 47 medical protective appliances manufacturers in resuming or transferring production and expansion, and strengthened the supply of major living necessities, thus ensuring stable supplies of production and living factors across the region. Under the strong leadership of the central authorities, Xinjiang has carried out various epidemic prevention and control measures, and effectively contained the spread of the outbreak in the region within a comparatively short period of time. Up to now, Xinjiang has seen no new confirmed case for more than 100 days. Our comprehensive battle against the outbreak has achieved remarkable result, and Xinjiang is among the earliest nationwide in restoring normal production and life order.

While taking strict epidemic prevention and control measures, Xinjiang has focused on stabilizing employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and expectations and ensuring the employment of residents, the basic livelihood of the people, the support for market entities, the securing of food and energy, the stability of the supply chain and industrial chain and the operation at grassroots level. A series of supportive policies have been issued in taxation, finance, investment, consumption, export, foreign trade, project construction, factor supply, social security, employment stabilization, poverty alleviation, etc. Socio-economic development and poverty alleviation have been promoted in a coordinated manner. In the first quarter, Xinjiang's regional GDP registered 305.551 billion yuan, down by only 0.2% year on year but higher than the national average by 6.6 percentage points.

The added value of industrial enterprises above designated size in the first four months  of 2020 was 110.079 billion yuan, with an increase of 3.4% year on year. The fixed asset investment hit an amount of 75.021 billion yuan, increased by 19.1% year on year. First, we have comprehensively promoted enterprises to resume work and production. In accordance with the principle of focusing on key issues, strengthening coordination, giving sector- specific guidance and applying region-specific policies, we have organized enterprise employees to return to work in an orderly manner in different areas at different stages, opened up the traffic arteries, and made every effort to promote the resumption of work and production. 2,118 industrial enterprises above designated size in Xinjiang have all resumed production, with the capacity utilization rate (resumption rate) of coal and textile industries reaching 100%; that of petrochemical industry, 95.6%; that of chemical industry, 89.8%; and that of equipment manufacturing, 75.8%. From January to April, the railway freight volume reached 54.816 million tons, up 20% year on year. China-Europe freight trains starting from Xinjiang have resumed normal operation and made 207 trips since the beginning of this year. Second, we have made solid efforts in promoting major projects construction. The launch and resumption progress of under-construction or new projects in Xinjiang is faster than their original plans. 2,188 continued projects with investment of over 5 million yuan each have comprehensively resumed construction one month in advance, and 77.6% of new projects have started construction, with the accumulated investment reaching 16.687 billion yuan, increasing by 2.106 billion yuan year on year, kicking off a good start of project construction. Third, we have made all-round endeavors in agricultural production without missing the farming season. Overall plans and coordinated efforts have been made in spring management and planting, quality and efficiency improvement of forestry and fruit farming, transformation and upgrading of animal husbandry, agricultural science and technology services, farming materials production, circulation and supply, agricultural infrastructure construction, disaster prevention and mitigation, etc. We have ensured accountability for food supply, and maintained overall stable supply of grain, vegetables, livestock products and other main agricultural and sideline products. In the first quarter, the planting areas of crops in the region increased by 23.18% year on year, and that of wheat has completed 13.2 million mu (880,000 ha.), 97.35% of the target task. The spring agricultural production and life order has restored in an all-round way, better than expected, so we have the foundation and confidence for a bumper agricultural harvest. Fourth, we have vigorously promoted operation resumption of businesses and markets. We have issued Xinjiang's Guidelines on Epidemic Prevention and Control Measures for the Reopening of Tourist Attractions, and supported comprehensive resumption of work and operation of accommodation, catering, commerce, logistics, culture and tourism sectors. The support through fiscal and tax policies has been increased to help medium, small and micro enterprises and individual businesses return to work and tide them over, so as to enhance their confidence and motivation for future development. As of April 25, 99.38% of medium, small and micro enterprises and 88.01% of individual businesses have returned to work. Through tax abatement, waiver, deferral and refund, compensation and clearing up defaults, we have reduced their burdens by 17.45 billion yuan. Fifth, we have been resolute in winning the battle of poverty alleviation. Poverty-alleviation projects have been carried out in a down-to-earth manner, with specific plans for each impoverished village and household. Industry-based and employment-based poverty alleviation has been strengthened to prioritize assistance to the needy people by offering them jobs. Consumption- driven alleviation has been carried out to facilitate access of agricultural and livestock products from poverty-stricken areas into farm produce markets, large supermarkets, community supply shops and convenience stores. Six, we have attached great importance to ensuring the people's livelihood. All-out effort has been made in ensuring employment. 179,800 new jobs have been created in urban areas. 18,929 of those with difficulties in finding jobs have secured employment. 16,400 people have started their own businesses, which have offered jobs to 28,763 people. We have spared no effort in ensuring the people's basic livelihood, providing 84.34 million yuan of living subsidies for the especially poor, the orphans and other disadvantaged groups. We have timely launched the linkage mechanism between social assistance and security standards and price rise, disbursing 41.98 million yuan of subsidies, benefiting all eligible groups with a total number of 3.799 million people. We have also gone all out in serving the people by improving the mobile medical service mechanism, setting up 1,368 mobile medical teams and directly serving more than 720,000 patients at their homes, winning sincere praise from all ethnic groups. Next, please watch a video.

Q: Reporter from China News Service: Recently, the overseas "East Turkistan" forces vigorously echoed some American politicians' opinions such as "the virus origins from China" and "hold China accountable and claim compensation from China," and asserted that "Xinjiang eliminates Muslims by means of COVID-19" and vocational education and training centers "facing the risk of large-scale outbreak." What's your response to that?

Moderator: This question goes to Mutalip Rozi.

A: Recently, overseas "Eastern Turkistan" forces collude with some American and other Western anti-China politicians, politicizing the pandemic and stigmatizing China with the COVID-19. They groundlessly accuse China of being the origin of the virus, deliberately attack China's external cooperation against the virus, and incite to "hold China accountable for the pandemic" to provoke antiChina sentiment and tarnish China's international image. Despicable behaviors of the "Eastern Turkistan" forces proved nothing but their flattering mentality and vicious intention acting as a cat's paw of the US-led Western anti-China forces.

The coronavirus is a common enemy to all mankind, which respects no border and could possibly appear anywhere. China, too, has been hit by the virus like other countries. In the face of COVID-19, in accordance with a general requirement that "The whole nation is united to take science-based and targeted measures and fight the epidemic with confidence," Xinjiang makes utmost efforts to win the battle of the epidemic prevention and control with improved and intensified preventive measures, so as to ensure early detection, reporting, quarantine and treatment of cases, insists on "treating the infected in dedicated facilities by senior medical professionals from all over the country and with all necessary resources," and makes every endeavor to ensure the supplies of prevention and control materials and fully meet the living materials demand of 25 million people of all ethnic groups, to guarantee their safety, health and normal life. Through joint efforts made by the Xinjiang people of all ethnic groups, the pandemic situation in Xinjiang has been effectively curbed with no confirmed cases at all in Kashgar Prefecture and Hotan Prefecture specially, as well as assembly occupancies such as kindergartens, schools, nursing homes, welfare houses, prisons and so on.

Due to precise and effective measures taken by Xinjiang, the spread of coronavirus has been put under control in a relatively short period. The confirmed cases in Xinjiang registered 76, and no new case has been reported for more than 100 consecutive days. The social and economic life in Xinjiang has gradually resumed to the right track, actually much earlier than the rest of the country.

It has been formally announced by Mr. Shohrat Zakir, Governor of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at a news release on December 9, 2019, that all trainees had all left the centers after completion of their courses of learning standard spoken and written Chinese, knowledge of law and regulation and occupational skills, secured stable employment with the help of the government and started a life of happiness with increasingly improved quality. Since all the trainees have left the centers, how come there are risks of large scale of infection?

The overseas "Eastern Turkistan" forces ignore the fact, yet they spread lies of "Xinjiang eliminating Muslims by means of COVID-19," vocational education and training centers "facing the risk of large-scale outbreak," and vigorously echo some American and other Western politicians' opinions that "hold China accountable," which is totally ridiculous. Please watch a video for your reference.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in countries and regions across the world, China has actively participated in international anti-pandemic cooperation, while striving to win its own war against the virus. Under the unified arrangement by the central authorities of China, local governments, enterprises and non-governmental organizations have donated medical supplies to many countries, regions and international organizations. Up to now, Xinjiang has donated more than 2.5 million surgical masks, 11,000 strong N95 respirators, over 30,000 protective suits, over 20,000 pairs of latex gloves, over 4,000 isolation gowns, 3,000 protective goggles (face shields), 3,000 infrared forehead thermometers, 20,000 test kits, 25 ventilators, 100 computers and other medical apparatuses to over 30 countries including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, South Korea, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Jordan, Belarus, Tajikistan and so on, and sent medical teams to Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to support them fight against the virus. Many countries and organizations have thanked China's support in their anti-pandemic efforts and expressed willingness to continue to strengthen cooperation in the fight against the virus with us.

"Eastern Turkistan" forces smear our efforts in global anti-pandemic cooperation, slander our firm support to other countries' fight against the pandemic, and undermine international cooperation on COVID-19. What are their motives? We believe their ugly behaviors and malicious intentions will be known and rejected by the international community consequentially.

Q: Reporter from Xinhua News Agency: Recently, "East Turkistan" forces overseas allege "Xinjiang bans Muslims from Ramadan fasting," and the website of World Uyghur Congress announced its plan to post serial video clips alleging "Uygurs are subject to persecution in Ramadan." What do you comment?

Moderator: This question goes to Mehmut Usman.

A: The fasting ban allegations by "East Turkistan" forces abroad are sheer nonsense. Every Ramadan, they habitually copy and spread such rumors that have been revealed fake, recklessly attacking Xinjiang with no moral constraint. The socalled "persecution videos of Uygurs in the month of fasting" in the pipeline are nothing but a patchwork of fakeries, intending to sow discord among our ethnic groups, disrupt the ethnic relationship, and incite ethnic antagonism. The intentions they harbor are extremely vicious.

Xinjiang fully implements the policy of freedom of religious belief. Religious believers and non-believers enjoy equal rights, politically, economically, culturally and in social life. To believe in or not believe in a religion is totally every citizen's independent choice. Across Xinjiang, no citizen is discriminated or mistreated for believing in or not believing in a religion. Believers' legal religious activities either performed at religious venues or at home according to habitual practice, such as prayers, fasting and religious festivities, are managed by religious groups or believers themselves and protected by law, allowing no interference by any organization or individual.

Indisputably, Xinjiang has enjoyed religious harmony and religious activities in the fasting month. Xinjiang has never put a ban on Muslims from Ramadan fasting, which is decided by each individual instead. Muslims' legal religious activities including fasting and praying are fully respected. Please watch the following video for your reference.

Q: Reporter from CGTN: It is reported that some foreign media claim that "Xinjiang government framed former director general of Xinjiang Forestry Department Memet Abdula as a two-faced man and sentenced him to a prison term." It is true? Could you brief us about it?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit.

A: Recently, former director general of Xinjiang Forestry Department Memet Abdula's daughter complained to the Voice of America that her father was mischarged as a "two-faced person" and put in prison. Her accusation was completely fabricated, which was to mislead international opinion, solicit support for her criminal father and attack China's policies on Xinjiang by misleading public opinion.

In April 2017, the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee filed a case against Memet Abdula on suspicion of taking bribes. The investigation found that, during his tenure as chief of the department, he violated organizational discipline to trade power for money in personnel selection and appointment; broke the Party's rules on clean governance for illegal acceptance of money and gifts and engaging in profitable activities; was suspected of crimes involving bribery and abuse of power to seek profits for others. According to the CPC Regulation on Disciplinary Punishment and the Regulation on the Disciplinary Actions Against Civil Servants of Administrative Organs and other relevant regulations, his case was transferred to the judicial authorities for further investigation.

The court found, through the first and second trials, that Memet Abudla used his position to seek benefits for others by raising logging quotas, solicited and accepted money and properties of enormous value many times from others. His behaviors had constituted crime of bribery. The people's court imposed a criminal sentence on him based on clear facts and solid evidence in accordance with the provisions of Chinese laws and regulations. His daughter's so- called "he was framed" allegation was just confusing truth and falsehood. Please take a look at the video for your reference.

Corruption is a tumor to social development and is detested by people. Anyone who violates — regardless of his or her ethnicity — the law and discipline will surely be brought to justice.

Moderator: Today's press conference concludes now. Thanks all the invitees and reporters.