Yiminyaz Yunus, Chairman of the CPPCC Yiwu County Committee

Recently, the former US Secretary of State Pompeo openly carried out hysterical and reckless attacks and slanders on Xinjiang related policies. He labeled China as the biggest threat to the freedom of religious belief in the future, and slandered Xinjiang’s employment policy of getting rid of poverty as “forced labor”. These are lies that deceive the world and confuse the public opinion. For the civil workers and masses of all ethnic groups living in Xinjiang, Pompeo’s lies are nonsense, just like the frost being exposed to the warm sunshine, which can not stand the test of facts.

As an official engaged in grassroots work of the Chinese people’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a member of the ethnic groups who was born, grew up and have been working in Xinjiang, I not only hate Pompeo’s lies, but also firmly oppose them, and strongly condemn them. Actions speak louder than words. I have been living in Yiwu County since I was born. All ethnic groups are like brothers and sisters. They love each other and are close to each other. It is no exaggeration to say that I study and play together with my Han colleagues and get along with and help each other day and night with them. All ethnic groups strengthen their feelings in exchanges and communication, helping and encouraging each other when they encounter difficulties, sharing joy and friendship when they achieve success and gain, and working together to change their hometown environment and pursue a happy life. Is it the situation of the ethnic relationship described by Pompeo?

In recent years, the economic and social development of Yiwu county has entered the fast lane. The implementation of the western development strategy of the CPC Central Committee, the policy of poverty alleviation and the selfless assistance from inland provinces and cities to Xinjiang have all brought about great changes in the whole Xinjiang, including Yiwu county, which has not only ended the poverty and backwardness of Xinjiang for thousands of years, but also have the people of all ethnic groups share the fruitful results of deepening reform. The highway, which used to be unthinkable, now runs through Yiwu from east to west. The G7 highway and national highway 331 turn Yiwu County into the east gate of Xinjiang. The private cars that the masses didn’t dare to expect in the past are now lined up in front of and behind the buildings in the community, and the masses are no longer disturbed by the inconvenience of travel. With the continuous implementation of the party’s policies and measures to benefit the people, the infrastructure is obviously improved, and the cause of people’s livelihood has made great progress in the process of poverty alleviation. The people of all ethnic groups living here for generations no longer worry about whether their children can enjoy high-quality education or not, and no longer worry about whether they can afford medical expenses or not. The children enjoy 15 years of free education, all the families are not worried about employment, and the elderly enjoy family happiness with sufficient pension. The social governance of Yiwu county can be said to be a place with excellent public security. Can such a harmonious and stable environment be distorted by a few lies of Pompeo?

As for Pompeo’s “genocide” and other false accusations, they don’t exist around me at all. Like the other places in Xinjiang, the number of children in ethnic families in Yiwu county is larger than that in Han families on average, especially in the vast rural areas. The growth rate of Uygur population in Yiwu county is much higher than that of Han population. Therefore, it may be the wrong choice of Pompeo and others to splash dirty water on Xinjiang and discredit Xinjiang by taking advantage of the problem of population fertility. The people living in Xinjiang will never approve it, and the masses of ethnic minorities will not agree to it.

After decades of concerted efforts of people of all ethnic groups, the current Yiwu county enjoys social stability, economic development, cultural prosperity, and people live and work in peace and contentment, and share a happy life. In recent decades, there has been no violent and terrorist case in Yiwu County, and the people’s rights to life, health and development have been effectively guaranteed. Employment is the biggest livelihood of the people. Through government’ training and enterprises’ resettlement, we try every means to create employment opportunities for the people of all ethnic groups, encourage, help and support all the people who have the desire to work hard to get a well-off life. Yiwu’s economy is developing healthily, and the poor population has shaken off poverty. The language, traditional culture and customs of ethnic minorities have been well protected and inherited in the program of “one village, one product” and the 100-day cultural competition in Xinjiang. People of all ethnic groups sing and dance, singing in the depth of their hearts about happy life. These achievements have been benefited from the brilliant leadership of the Communist Party of China, the full play of the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and the guarantee of the new type of ethnic relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance.

Lies told 1000 times are still lies. In the face of Pompeo’s shameful lies, together with members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, I resolutely fight back and refute them. Any act aiming at splitting China and undermining Xinjiang’s ethnic unity is bound to be strongly opposed by the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and the plot of Pompeo and his likes will never succeed.