Photo: Xinhua

As China fights against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, known as COVID-19, some "East Turkistan" and anti-China forces saw this as a chance to ramp up efforts on spreading rumors on overseas social media to slander China's policies in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The Global Times acquired an exclusive response from the spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government refuting the current rumors on Xinjiang.

Here is the statement.

In recent days, "East Turkistan" forces overseas have been spreading frightening misinformation, such as "Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers face dissemination risks of the Novel Coronavirus," "The Chinese government could use the Novel Coronavirus to wipe out the one million Muslims interned in the concentration camps," and "Xinjiang conceals the truth of the epidemic." Without questioning the authenticity of such fakeries, US Senate Marco Rubio and some others have also made completely groundless remarks. These rumors are nothing but fabrications and slander, which we are indignant about and resolutely opposed to.

I would like to stress again that Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers are not the alleged "concentration camps" at all. Rather they are deradicalization institutions, which are schools in nature, established according to law when Xinjiang faced frequent incidents of violent terrorist activities. On December 9, 2019, governor Shohrat Zakir of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced at a press conference "all the trainees have graduated. And with the help of government, they have got stable jobs, improved living quality and are having a better life now." As all the trainees have graduated, how could there have been risks for large-scale infection? "East Turkistan" forces ignore the facts and are still making lies to cheat the world. It is utterly ridiculous.

Since the outbreak of the virus, Xinjiang has been firmly implementing the decisions and deployments on epidemic prevention and control by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and putting people's safety and health of all ethnic groups as a priority.

As required by the general guidance of fighting the virus with concerted efforts and rock-solid conviction through scientific prevention and control and targeted countermeasures, we have been taking resolute actions with firm confidence and a strong will to press ahead with virus prevention and control on all fronts.

First is intensifying precise prevention and control. We strictly practice scientific and law-based mass prevention and control, preventing the virus from making inroads into Xinjiang and its spread within this region by stepping up surveillance and screening close contacts of confirmed patients. By doing so, people infected with the virus can be located and reported as early as possible before they are isolated and treated, thus defusing risks for further spread to the utmost extent.

Second is doing a good job in scientific treatment. We follow a unified approach: patients are hospitalized for best possible treatment, which is person specific, at designated hospitals where medical experts and resources are assembled. In treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (including Uygur medicine) is equally incorporated.

Third is resolutely cutting off the spread of the virus. Public congregations and activities with underlying cross-infection risks have all been suspended; the management of crowded places like bus stations, airports and business establishments is beefed up; vehicles, trains, airplanes and other transportation facilities are well cleaned, sanitized and ventilated.

Fourth is securing supplies. We try every means to ensure the supplies of protective gears, medicines, disinfectants and appliance, test kits and reagents, and other needed materials. We guarantee with all efforts the supply of vegetables, food items and other daily necessities as well as of water, electricity, oil and gas, and strengthen market supervision to keep prices stable to ensure people's life stays as orderly as normal.

Fifth is disclosing information timely. We take a highly responsible and transparent attitude to disclose information about the outbreak on a daily basis and respond to social concerns and public opinion in a proactive manner. Thanks to our hard efforts, the virus prevention and control in Xinjiang has produced positive results. As of February 15, Xinjiang registered 71 confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, out of which one died and 11 were cured.

With people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang united as one, we staunchly believe that, under the strong leadership of the CPC, and with the great institutional strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the support of the international community, Xinjiang will surely defeat the virus with the rest of the country.
Newspaper headline: Xinjiang refutes ETIM rumors of ‘killing vocational trainees with coronavirus’