Aierken Abudujilili, Xinjiang Daily

In the days before he left office, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo fiercely smeared China’s Xinjiang like a madman. All the lies he told, the rumors he spread, the poisonous remarks he made once again exposed the ugly face of “the worst Secretary of State in U.S.history”.

His attacks on so-called forced labor, vocational education and training centers, and policies on religion in Xinjiang appear malicious and nonsensical based on a fact-check. Pompeo’s neglect of truth and pursuit of lies reflects not only his own despicable character, but also his sinister intention to interfere in China’s internal affairs, undermine China’s stability and security, and contain China’s development under the pretext of human rights in Xinjiang through smearing China.

Pompeo's lies are not only major insults on the 1.4 billion Chinese people, but also major insults on the judgment of American people and the international community. What's worse, he has betrayed and challenged humanity's morality and conscience. His shameful behaviors were despised by good and just people who see clearly his double standards and hypocrisy.

The success of Xinjiang is determined not by others but by the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and by the reality of peace and stability in Xinjiang. Take the Xinjiang Vocational Education and Training Center as an example, Pompeo has done his utmost to spread rumors and slander against the center in order to deny the tremendous efforts Xinjiang has made in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization as well as the great achievements Xinjiang has made in human rights. However, what is the reality of those centers? The truth should be only told by the trainees or the insiders. I know from some graduates, who told me many times “the center saved me”. The centers are the schools to save and educate people, in which students learn the national language, legal knowledge, employment skills and courses on de-radicalization. Through the training, they have improved their language communication skills, enhanced their legal awareness, got rid of the extreme ideas that troubled them, mastered many employment skills, and finally found suitable employment opportunities and lived a peaceful and happy life. The students are grateful to the Party and the government for their education and cultivation. As a journalist, I can say responsibly that vocational education and training centers not only saved some people, but also saved several generations of people.

Only people who live here know what Xinjiang is really like. In recent years, I have witnessed, experienced, and benefited from the earth-shaking changes in Xinjiang. I was born in an ordinary peasant family. I remember when I was in primary school and middle school, the schools were adobe houses, the country roads were dusty, and every family lived a hard life. With the implement of policies of benefiting people, in today’s Xinjiang, tall buildings and wide asphalt roads connecting cities and villages can be seen everywhere. People live a better life with spacious houses and convenient cars, and enjoy free compulsory education and basic health care.The faces of people of all ethnic groups are brimming with happy smiles. There are signs of prosperity everywhere.

At present, having effectively curbed the infiltration of extremism and achieved ethnic unity and religious harmony, Xinjiang enjoys sustainable social stability.The will of people of all ethnicities to safeguard national unity and ethnic unity is as firm as a rock, and the pace of realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation is unstoppable.

I am confident that people of all ethnicities will embrace each other like the seeds of a pomegranate, work together for prosperity and development, and Xinjiang will have an even brighter future. Any attempt to undermine the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang and contain China's development is doomed to fail. All poisonous lies and rumors by Pompeo will surely be swept into the dustbin of history along with Pompeo himself.