China has lambasted the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill that aims to hold Beijing accountable over alleged violations of human rights against Muslim minorities, including Uighurs.
“We urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes, prevent the aforementioned Xinjiang-related bill from becoming law, and stop using the Xinjiang-related issue to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“China will respond according to the development of the situation,” Hua noted.
The official said the bill discredited China’s efforts to combat terrorism, attacked the Chinese government’s territorial policies and “seriously” interfered with China’s internal affairs.
“Xinjiang-related issues are not issues of human rights, ethnicity or religion, but issues related to anti-terrorism and anti-separatism,” Hua said.
He added that China’s campaign in Xinjiang has prevented any terrorist attack from happening in the past three years.
