Foreign Ministry denies 'forced labor' In East Turkistan

The Foreign Ministry slammed on Wednesday the "forced labor" accusations in East Turkistan, propagated in a report by an international rights group, urging the relevant organization to stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has never forced anyone to transfer or engage in employment, the ministry's spokesman Lin Jian told a daily news briefing.

The so-called forced labor claim in Xinjiang is completely a lie fabricated by certain anti-China forces, Lin said.

"We urge the relevant organization to stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the guise of human rights, and stop undermining the prosperity and stability of the region," he said.

It is worth noting that on February 13 of this year, a newly released report from the United Nations’ International Labor Organization states that authorities in China are not only using "vocational skills training and education centers" for forced labor in East Turkistan and Tibet, but also the large-scale transfer of "surplus" rural workers to state-led labor programs across the country.