Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The Xinjiang Minority Employment Survey Report" is based on true and credible information, data and facts

 Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The Xinjiang Minority Employment Survey Report" is based on true and credible information, data and facts

On October 23, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian hosted a regular press conference. Part of the content is as follows.

Question: For some time, some Western politicians and think tanks have repeatedly hyped up the issue of "forced labor" in Xinjiang. We noticed that the Xinjiang Development Research Center recently released a "Report on Employment of Ethnic Minorities in Xinjiang." What's your opinion?

A: I have taken note of the report you mentioned, and I hope that all journalists present will pay more attention to reporting on this report. The Xinjiang Development Research Center wrote the report through on-site visits and in-depth investigations, and believes that the employment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang is autonomous, voluntary, and free. This report presents the real situation of employment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, based on authentic and credible information, data and facts. Let me give a few examples:

The Xinjiang Autonomous Region's Human Resources and Social Security Department surveyed the employment willingness of ethnic minorities in the four prefectures of southern Xinjiang, showing that the surplus labor force in southern Xinjiang has a strong willingness to go out to work voluntarily. For example, there are 1509 laborers in Oyibag Village, Gulbag Town, Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, of which 1,288 people are willing to go out to work voluntarily, accounting for 85% of the total labor force; 3 are in Bagqi Town, Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture There are 1,699 laborers in the village, and 1,493 are willing to go out for employment voluntarily, accounting for 88% of the total labor force.

In a questionnaire survey of 100 ethnic minority farmers in each of Kashgar and Hotan areas, most of them hoped that the government would organize the masses for employment. Tasi Maimat, a farmer from Yingawati Township, Shule County, Kashgar Prefecture, said: “It is not easy for us to find a job by ourselves. I hope the government will help us contact the work and train us.” Puchakqi Township, Moyu County, Hotan Prefecture Farmer Muhetar Heiliy likes welding and hopes to participate in welding skills training courses organized by the government and find employment in the mainland with the help of the government. The two sons of Yierken Wubuli Kasmu, a farmer in the township, were helped by the government to work in an enterprise in Nanjing. He said: "My son earns more money in Nanjing than in his hometown. He sends money to the family every month and we have lifted out of poverty. I hope the government will organize more people to go out for employment."

In addition, the demonstration effects of various employment promotion measures and employment increase have stimulated the enthusiasm of ethnic minority people to go out for employment. Pashaguli Keremu from Wuqia County, Kezhou has worked in Dongguan, Guangdong for many years. Not only has he become rich, he has also led nearly 600 villagers to work outside. Young Kazakh couple Tursun Aili and Ayigulisheng Gamink were introduced to a cotton spinning enterprise in Shihezi City, Xinjiang. In addition to the monthly expenses of about 500 yuan, the couple had a net income of nearly 1 month. Ten thousand yuan. After working for 3 years, they bought a building of more than 100 square meters in Yining City, and introduced more than a dozen fellow villagers to work in their company.

There are many such examples in the report, I will not introduce them one by one. This report is in stark contrast to the so-called Xinjiang-related reports made by some anti-China think tanks and scholars through out of thin air, data falsification, and malicious speculation. It is also a powerful response to the lies of the so-called "forced labor" in Xinjiang. I hope and believe that more and more people of insight in the international community will firmly choose to stand on the side of facts and truth, and resolutely say no to lies.2020/10