BEIJING: Pompeo has been the source of various disinformation about China. His so-called forced labor claim and other issues are typical cases of fabrication, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday in response to the U.S. Secretary of State, who criticized China over “forced labor” and religion restriction in Northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Zhao said all laborers in Xinjiang, including ethnic minorities, are equally protected by China’s labor laws, and they’re free to choose their professions and locations of work. There is no restriction on them. Pompeo had made a statement on monitoring and combating trafficking in persons on the department’s website, claiming that there are mass forced laborers in Xinjiang and that it is a part of China’s campaign of repression against Uygurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in the region. In recent years, China has strengthened its efforts to fight against terrorism and poverty in Xinjiang. Under China’s nationwide poverty alleviation project, tens of millions of Chinese have been lifted out of penury, including people in Xinjiang, which has a huge population living below the poverty line. Part of the project is relocation, meaning moving people from poor mountainous villages to places with abundant resources, like towns and cities, where companies supported by the government can help them land a job or start small businesses due to the centralization.
–The Daily Mail-CGTN exchange item
