China Global Television Network (CGTN) released the third documentary on the anti-terrorism fight in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region titled Tianshan Still Stand: Memories of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang on Friday A day earlier, the so-called “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020” was signed into law by the US President Donald Trump. The documentary is a powerful response to the Uygur bill that grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, intervenes in Xinjiang’s governance, and comprehensively smears Xinjiang’s construction efforts and achievements.
Regarding the content of the Uygur bill, I would like to talk about three issues. First of all, the Chinese government and people will not be disturbed by the bill and will confidently build and develop Xinjiang step by step. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State, the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have taken various measures to deal with the issue of the three evil forces in a comprehensive way to eliminate extremism, oppose separatism and counter terrorism. At present, the social situation in Xinjiang is stable, people of all ethnic groups have a stable mentality, optimistic about the future of Xinjiang. All undertakings are proceeding in an orderly way, production and life are proceeding in an orderly way, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the trend is getting better and better. Xinjiang has withstood the test of the COVID-19 outbreak and is one of the first provinces and regions in China to step out of the epidemic.
Secondly, the interference of external forces stimulates the unity consciousness of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The current changes in Xinjiang are not only the complete reversal of the social security situation and the fast track of economic development, but also the profound changes in people’s minds and understanding. The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have come to realize that Xinjiang’s development cannot be separated from ethnic unity, and the leadership of the CPC is the fundamental guarantee for Xinjiang’s prosperity and development. People of all ethnic groups have been strengthening their identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Third, the interference of external forces has inspired the Chinese people’s border consciousness and patriotic feelings. In the past, many Chinese people focused more on economic development and paid little attention to border issues, not to mention the awareness of border security. The international anti-China forces have been manipulating the bill and constantly clamoring for Xinjiang question, which has aroused the border awareness and patriotism of the Chinese people, especially the young generation. By further understanding the history and reality of Xinjiang, people have realized that the construction and development of Xinjiang will not be smooth, and they should always be ready to deal with rough waves. Inspired by the crisis consciousness in the frontier, a group of young people gave up the comfortable jobs in big cities and went to Xinjiang to devote themselves to the border areas.
The bill also reminds us of the need to strengthen the international interpretation and explanation of Xinjiang question, enhance the publicity of Xinjiang’s achievements, and correct the wrong understanding of China’s governance of Xinjiang and fight back against attacks and slanders against the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China. In recent years, we have issued a series of white papers on Xinjiang-related issues and produced a series of documentaries on counter-terrorism in Xinjiang, achieving unprecedented results.
We are already familiar with the US double standards on Xinjiang. The US has brutally banned the entry of citizens from seven Islamic countries, including Syria, Somalia and Iraq, claiming that the purpose is to fight terrorism, while stigmatizing the de-radicalization and anti-terrorism measures in Xinjiang as human rights violations. The US itself is rife with racism. They accuse Xinjiang of ethnic persecution. Religious intolerance continues to worsen in the US, but they defame Xinjiang’s efforts to guide the people on the road to modernization as violating religious freedom.
Any attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs will end up shooting itself in the foot.
The author is a researcher at the Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
Screenshot of Tianshan Still Standing: Memories of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang
