In the eyes of some Western politicians and media who may have never been to 
Xinjiang, the region resembles an "evil" place where ethnic minorities are 
suffering from "genocide," "forced labor," and other severe crimes against 
humanity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebeGipO6-gU

But as more international delegations take trips to Xinjiang to see the region 
for themselves, a different narrative has emerged. According to the Chinese 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, over the past years, more than 1,200 diplomats, 
journalists, and religious personnel from over 100 countries have visited 
Xinjiang. They saw the region with their eyes, realizing that what they 
witnessed was different from some Western media reports.

To shed new light on the ongoing debate about what's happening in Xinjiang, 
CGTN anchor Liu Xin invited Moin ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China, Fariz 
Mehdawi, Palestinian Ambassador to China, and Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador 
to China, for a 30-minute roundtable discussion. The three diplomats shared 
their firsthand experiences in Xinjiang and tried to uncover the intentions of 
some Western countries' portrayal of Xinjiang.  

The discussion took place in a Chinese-style opera house in central Beijing. 
Liu Xin just wrapped up a two-week trip to Xinjiang, where she interviewed many 
local officials, academics, farmers, and local residents.

Xinjiang in the eyes of ambassadors 

Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque visited Xinjiang this March. He 
described this trip as "an experience of a lifetime." After visiting various 
places, including local families, development projects, and mosques, he was 
attracted by the cultural and religious diversity and harmony in this region. 
Instead of the so-called "forced sterilization" imposed on ethnic minorities, 
which some Western "researchers" claim, he said "Xinjiang is a mosaic of 
50-plus ethnic minorities, and these ethnic minorities exist in Xinjiang in a 
very peaceful and harmonious manner."

Fariz Mehdawi, Palestinian Ambassador to China, was impressed by the number of 
religious places. He visited Xinjiang in 2020 and observed that there were 
mosques in intersections wherever he looked, and there were five mosques 
actually in the same neighborhood, and a specialized religious learning 
institution had been established too.

Some people argue that these diplomats' tours are all staged and do not reflect 
the real situation. Ambassador Fariz said he thinks such an opinion is not 
respectful. "One should not believe that diplomats are so naive that they could 
be maneuvered to take and buy anything," he argued, adding "the diplomats are 
not part of a conspiracy, that they would justify something against what they 
had seen."

Anti-terrorism achievements in Xinjiang 

In the past, Xinjiang suffered from "the three evil forces": separatism, 
extremism, and terrorism. But thanks to China's efforts, there have not been 
any terrorist attacks in Xinjiang for more than four consecutive years. 

The reason behind this, the ambassadors said, is that Chinese authorities have 
done two right things: one is eradicating hardcore terrorists with force, and 
the other is the emphasis on people and developing the society.

Syrian Ambassador to China Imad Moustapha told Liu Xin that China is doing the 
right thing. China went to the core issues, which are how to develop the 
society and how to prevent the people in Xinjiang from falling prey to the 
propaganda of radical extremism.

Why has Xinjiang become such a controversial topic?

The contrast between the ambassadors' personal experiences and the narratives 
of the Western world is stark. Why? 

Fariz Mehdawi, Palestinian Ambassador to China, explained that it is not about 
human rights; it is about geopolitical challenges.

Syrian Ambassador to China Imad Moustapha said, "let's look at the issues as 
they are. The issues have nothing to do with Xinjiang. It has to do with the 
media campaign in the West against China, demonizing China. China is bad. And 
whatever China does, it's bad."

The ambassadors expressed hope that China could stay the course, continue its 
development path, continue opening up, continue to reform, continue the 
people-centric approach. They agreed that Xinjiang is a beautiful ancient land 
of diverse people who have hopes and inspirations. 

The ambassadors' views do not represent the views of all countries, however. 
Since February 2021, the governments of Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK 
have passed non-binding motions declaring China's conduct in Xinjiang amounts 
to genocide. The U.S. State Department labeled China's actions in Xinjiang 
genocide in its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released in 
March. China has strongly rejected such allegations.

Link: 
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-04-27/What-do-three-ambassadors-talk-about-Xinjiang-with-Liu-Xin--ZMA1UeE2T6/index.html 


SOURCE: CGTN

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=390264

   Caption: Let’s talk Xinjiang: LIU Xin speaks to three ambassadors to China