Rena Arken, Assistant Researcher, School of Economics, Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences

Recently, the former US Secretary of State Pompeo deliberately smeared and slandered Chinese governance of Xinjiang and grossly interfered in internal affairs of China, which was a flagrant violation of international laws and fundamental principles of international relations. His alleged “ethnic genocide” was nothing but a fabricated lie. In fact, Xinjiang has made remarkable progress with strong support of the CPC central committee, and no one has the right to wipe out all these achievements. As a social science researcher benefiting much from national preferential policies for ethnic minorities, I want to refute Pompeo’s shameless lies with my own academic experiences.

My name is Rena Arken, an assistant researcher working with School of Economics, Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences. In 2018, I was admitted to School of Economics, Peking University for a special project for ethnic minority students. Having longed for an opportunity to study in the best university of China for a long time, I was admitted to SOE of PKU to further my study, thanks to the National Special Cultivation Plan for Leading Professionals of Science and Technology in Ethnic Minority Regions. In such a fruitful year, I was also basked in the care and concern of the faculty of PKU. On the first day of school, the teachers of SOE warmly entertained us with a substantial Muslim feast, fully respecting the custom of the students from northwest China. Both their scholarly attainments and hospitality are unforgettable. The School of Economics arranged professor Dong Zhiyong to supervise my study. Fully considering my academic competence, Prof. Dong required me to take a series of courses, including his Introduction to Econometrics and Advanced Econometrics, and attend various seminars. During that time, I established connections with faculties of PKU and even after I left PKU, my supervisor kept counseling my study. I would never have had the opportunity to study in PKU, to receive face-to-face tutoring and to improve my academic ability and exchange, if it had not been for the concern and cultivation of ethnic minority intellectuals by our great country. To my knowledge, having been there for 29 years, the National Special Cultivation Plan has benefited talents of more than 20 ethnic minorities.

To date, there hasn’t been a single violent terrorist crime over the past four years in Xinjiang. Infiltration of extremism has been effectively contained and social security improved markedly. All people in Xinjiang live and work in peace and contentment and their sense of fulfillment, happiness and security has also improved substantially. We hold dear our hard-won happiness and tolerate no sabotage of anyone. Any attempts to meddle in affairs of Xinjiang shall end up in failure. No rumor, smear or slander by Pompeo shall hold back the development and progress of human rights in Xinjiang, nor shall they stop the footstep of ethnic unity and progress of people in Xinjiang or disrupt the process of the development and prosperity of Xinjiang.