Mahmut Tohti, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture

Mike Pompeo claimed that the Chinese government had committed “genocide” against Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Such barefaced lies are full of fallacies and can't stand up to any scrutiny at all. He wantonly slandered and discredited the good situation of Xinjiang’s stable development and the hard-earned happy life of the people of all ethnic groups, which is not only a flagrant violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations, but also a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. I want to ask Pompeo, do you really know Xinjiang? Do you see what Xinjiang is like? No one knows Xinjiang better than us native Xinjiang people. Let me show you a real picture of Xinjiang.

I was born in an ordinary Uygur family in Korla, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. When I was a still young boy, I was impressed by the harmonious and vivid pictures, where people of all ethnic groups have been making joint efforts for a better life based on mutual exchange, communication, integration, respect and help. That’s why deep in my mind, I can see the ethnic unity and harmony achieved through the concerted efforts by all ethnic groups. Living on this vast land, we have witnessed the earthshaking changes these years, during which Xinjiang has made a thorough face-lift out of “piled up poverty and weakness”, with all the undertakings prospering and flourishing, people working with a new will and living a better-off life. All these wouldn’t happen without the concerted efforts made by the people of all ethnic groups, without the kind help from the other parts of China, or without the wise leadership of the Communist Party of China.

These years Xinjiang has made unprecedented achievements in economic and social development and provided higher living standards for people, who have made painstaking efforts under the strong leadership of the CPC. Here’s some statistics to respond to Pompeo’s fabricated story. According to the 2020 government work report of the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, the prefecture party committee and government have been spending 70% of financial expenditure on improving people’s living standards in the last five years. Such measures have been implemented to provide higher living standards, benefit the local people and promote ethnic solidarity. Therefore, people of all ethnic groups are enjoying greater sense of achievement, happiness and safety. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents has increased by 4.8% and 5.9% respectively. Decisive results have been made in poverty alleviation, with impoverished residents and poverty-stricken villages lifted out of poverty, the possibility of poverty removed and absolute poverty problems solved historically. An increasing number of unemployed people have found jobs, and at least one family member is employed in each zero-employment family. The national health has benefited 4.12 million people with an improved social security system, which ensures all kinds of residents’ minimum living security. All the people in poverty now have access to safe drinking water and safe houses thanks to the measures for drinking water safety and rebuilding of dilapidated houses in rural areas.

All ethnic groups in Xinjiang are closely united as family members to build a beautiful homeland, maintain social stability, and realize economic development and prosperity, ethnic unity and harmony, and freedom of religious belief, with people of different ethnic groups living and working in peace and contentment. This is how we Xinjiang people see our homeland, Bayingolin people are no exception. Pompeo refused to see this and kept spreading sensational false information on Xinjiang related issues. What he wanted is to disrupt the stability and development of Xinjiang. Let’s nail his lies. We will not allow ourselves to get his way!