Xinjiang smears built on shaky grounds

According to The Grayzone, an independent news website, the popular claims that China has detained millions of Uygur Muslims are largely based on two studies that were backed by the United States, applied problematic methodologies and involved a leading far-right fundamentalist Christian who believes he is "led by God" on a "mission" against China.

Although the findings of the investigative report of the website have not yet been verified, and neither the US nor the think tanks involved have responded, the view that US politicians with an ideological distaste for China feel no qualms about building charges upon "highly dubious studies" for their own ends is given credence by the fact that even Peter Navarro, a senior trade advisor to the White House, uses an imaginary expert he calls "Ron Vara" to support his hawkish views on China.

The Grayzone points out the claim that China has detained millions of ethnic Uygurs in its Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is repeated as fact with "little scrutiny" applied. It concludes that "while this extraordinary claim is treated as unassailable in the West", and was used to promote the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act" passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this month, it is, in fact, based on "a serious deficiency of data".

In this case, the distortions of the counter-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang are being exploited by secessionists and extremists. They and the US politicians who are eager to drive a wedge between Xinjiang and the rest of China are scratching each other's backs.

Those who really care about the well-being of Uygurs would not turn a blind eye to the fact that Xinjiang boasts a high safety level and economic growth today and the Uygur population has expanded about six times in 70 years, nearly twice the rate of growth of the national population, and their average income has increased 200 times.

Instead those using Xinjiang as means to put pressure on Beijing are leaving no stones unturned in their attempts to roil the region's hard-earned tranquility and stability.

And not to put too fine a point on it, it is the collusion between the West and the extremist and secessionist forces in Xinjiang that has forced China to continuously innovate its policies to combat extremism, secessionism and terrorism in the region, and devise ways to prevent the Uygurs, particularly those living in the remote and isolated places, who are poorly educated, from being brainwashed into becoming "holy warriors".