People dance at a square during a culture and tourism festival themed on Dolan and Qiuci culture in Awat County of Aksu Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on October 25. Phont:Xinhua

On Dec 3rd local time, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019”. This bill deliberately smears the human rights condition in Xinjiang, slanders China's efforts in de-radicalization and counter-terrorism and viciously attacks the Chinese government's Xinjiang policy.

Such malicious attack on Chinese government’s Xinjiang policies and the unethical practices of distorting facts seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs.

Xinjiang-related issues are not about human rights, ethnicity or religion, but about fighting violence, terrorism and separatism.

Since the 1990s, elements of terrorist, separatist and extremist forces launched several thousand terrorist attacks there, causing loss of life to and damaging the property of people of all ethnic groups, and trampling upon the basic human rights.

However, some U.S. politicians just turned a blind eye to these misdeeds, which are by nature anti-human, anti-society, and anti-civilization.

Today, the freedom of religious belief in Xinjiang cannot be matched by that in any other historical period, as all ethnic groups in the region are united and work together, share the benefits of reform and development, and have their rights guaranteed by law.

Nevertheless, these U.S. politicians are still racking their brains to smear the Chinese government’s Xinjiang policies. Under the disguise of protecting human rights, they apply double standards in counter-terrorism, and even connive and incite terrorist acts, standing at the evil side that seriously violates the international justice and human conscience.

Against such backdrop, the U.S. Congress’ passage of the so-called “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019” revealed nothing but the disgusting and sinister motives of some U.S. politicians.

Xinjiang affairs are China’s internal affairs, which no other country and external force is allowed to interfere in. The preventive counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures taken by China in Xinjiang are supported by law, conform to the aspirations of Xinjiang citizens, and have yielded remarkable results.

The law-based vocational education and training carried out in Xinjiang represent China’s concrete steps and measures to put into practice the international community’s initiatives on combating terrorism and de-radicalization, including the United Nations (UN) Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.

Chinese government’s Xinjiang policies are totally designed for the protection of human rights. In the past three years, no violent or terrorist attack has happened in the region.

Instead, the region has witnessed social stability, solidarity among all ethnic groups, and a great social atmosphere as everyone live and work in peace and contentment and see their right to life, right to live, and right to development strongly guaranteed by law.

The U.S. Congress’ ridiculous act of ignoring China’s achievements in the field of human rights and irresponsible remarks on the Chinese government’s Xinjiang policies are in fact what violate human rights and the law-based governance.

The international community has a fair opinion on who is protecting human rights and who is violating them.

Since the end of 2018, more than 1,000 representatives from 91 countries and regions have visited Xinjiang in more than 70 groups, including officials from various countries, regions and international organizations, and people from the press, religious groups and the academic circle. They acclaimed that Xinjiang's experience in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization was worth learning from.

In July, ambassadors of over 50 countries to the UN Office at Geneva co-signed a letter to the president of the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, applauding China's respect for and protection of human rights in its counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts.

In October, at the Third Committee session of the 74th UNGA, more than 60 countries commended in their statements the tremendous human rights progress achieved in Xinjiang, China, in support of China’s measures in so-called counter-terrorism and de-radicalization in Xinjiang. They also expressed their opposition to some countries’ attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs and to politicalize human rights issues.

As Chinese people always say, “A just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one finds little”. Certain U.S. politicians, who spare no effort to make up stories about the so-called Xinjiang-related issues to slander China, are acting completely against the mainstream opinions of the international community.

The bills passed by the U.S. Congress that interfere with other countries’ internal affairs are nothing but blatant hegemonic acts. Rather than introspecting into the human rights issues in the U.S. and the White House-initiated humanitarian disasters across the world, the U.S. politicians are stirring up troubles all over the world and make irresponsible remarks on other countries.

It’s obvious enough for the international community that the U.S. has already fallen from the moral high ground of human rights, and decisions on this issue will never be allowed to be made by the U.S. alone.

This point is well illustrated by the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Advancing Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Beijing+25 Review, which was recently passed 37 to 1 - the U.S. was the only country voting no.

The Chinese government and people are determined in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. Under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues, the US attempts to sow discord among various ethnic groups in China, undermine prosperity and stability in Xinjiang, and contain China's growth. But its attempt will never succeed.

The U.S. had better stop its dirty tricks of interfering in China’s internal affairs and the farce that will ultimately humiliate itself, as anyone who underestimates the determination and willpower of the Chinese people will not end well.