China is actively coordinating the visit of EU diplomats to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region but some of their demands, including visiting Ilham Tohti, a Uygur sentenced to life imprisonment for provoking social unrest, disrespect China’s sovereignty, the spokesperson of Xinjiang regional government said at a press conference on Friday, noting that Xinjiang does not welcome those who bear the mentality of “presumption of guilt.”
China’s Xinjiang region is an open place where people from all around the world are welcomed to visit, and we hope the visits are objective and without bias because only in this way can they see the real situation in Xinjiang, Xu Guixiang, spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
Staff members and passengers dance together in a passenger car of train No. K9756 from Korla to Yetimbulak in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 9, 2020.Photo:Xinhua
Xu’s remarks came to respond questions from Bloomberg on whether China will agree on EU diplomats’ request to visit Xinjiang as they expressed the willingness previously but China has yet to agree.
Xu said that EU diplomats’ visit to Xinjiang is not a new question but the issue had reached a stalemate.
Ilham, who used to teach at Minzu University of China, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Chinese judicial authorities for separatist crimes. He was found being involved in separatist activities and sowing discord among different ethnic groups, xinhuanet.com reported in September 2014.
China is actively coordinating the visit but the EU diplomats have made unreasonable requests, for example to visit Ilham, a criminal, which we think disrespect China’s sovereignty. We firmly oppose those who bear the attitude or mentality of making presumptions of guilt – to “investigate” or “prove” so-called “concentration camp” or “genocide” claims in Xinjiang, Xu said.
Children have fun in “Dove Lane” in the old town Tuancheng of Hotan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. Photo:Xinhua
