BEIJING, Sept. 3 -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to stop using Xinjiang-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a question regarding U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent comments over China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying China has lodged stern representations with the United States.
Pompeo renewed a call on Twitter on Friday for China to end "oppressive tactics" in Xinjiang, which he said violated international norms and its own laws.
Geng said Pompeo was just repeating his old narratives to accuse China, and China firmly opposed it.
Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs that brook no foreign interference, Geng said, adding that China has released a white paper that provides a comprehensive introduction to Xinjiang's vocational skills and education training programs.
Noting the local government of Xinjiang established the vocational skills and education training centers in accordance with the law in order to save people who have been tempted by terrorist forces and even joined them through minor criminal acts, Geng said Xinjiang currently enjoys social stability, positive growth momentum and harmony among all ethnic groups, and has not witnessed any violent terrorist incidents in the past three years.
The measures taken in Xinjiang to counter terrorism and maintain stability enjoy extensive support from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, Geng added.
According to Geng, ambassadors and diplomats from seven countries, including Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Nigeria got to know the reality of Xinjiang's vocational skills and education training centers through first-hand visits.
They spoke highly of the Chinese government's measures in combating and preventing terrorism in accordance with the law and recognized Xinjiang's positive experience that can be shared by more countries, Geng said.
"We advise certain people in the United States to take off their tinted glasses, abandon their Cold-War mentalities, stop using Xinjiang-related issues to point the finger at China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and work to cement rather than undermine our mutual trust and cooperation," Geng said.