China defiant in face of criticism over crackdown on Muslim minorities

The world should ignore “gossip” about China’s Xinjiang region and trust authorities there, the government’s top diplomat said on Tuesday, when asked if Beijing would allow international observers to inspect camps holding Muslims there.

The world should ignore “gossip” about China’s Xinjiang region and trust authorities there, the government’s top diplomat said on Tuesday, when asked if Beijing would allow international observers to inspect camps holding Muslims there.

Western countries including Canada, France, and Germany have urged China to shut down camps in Xinjiang, where activists say as many as 1 million members of the Uighur minority and other Muslims are being detained.

Far western Xinjiang faces a threat from militants and separatists, China has said in the past. It rejects all accusations of mistreatment and denies mass internment.

After initial blanket denials, however, Chinese officials have said some people guilty of minor offences were being sent to “vocational” training centers, where they are taught work skills and legal knowledge aimed at curbing militancy.

After meeting Heiko Maas, Germany’s foreign minister, State Councillor Wang Yi said he hoped people would understand and support the Xinjiang regional government’s efforts to “fight terrorism, end the spread of extremism and ensure social stability.”

Wang’s remarks followed Monday’s comments by Maas that there was a need for more information on the Xinjiang situation and that China needed to be transparent.