People dance at a square during a culture and tourism festival themed on Dolan and Qiuci culture in Awat County of Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, Oct. 25, 2019.Photo:Xinhua

 
The Chinese Embassy in Canada has strongly opposed and condemned Canada's so-called sanctions against Chinese individuals and groundless accusations over Xinjiang issues, urging it to immediately stop repeatedly hyping up lies and interfering in China's internal affairs. 

The embassy spokesperson made the remarks in a statement posted on Tuesday after Canada joined the US, the UK and the European Union on Monday in imposing sanctions against four Chinese officials involved in "human rights violations" in Xinjiang. 

The embassy once again clarified that Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights, ethnic or religious issues, but anti-terrorism and anti-separatism issues. 

Facts have already proven that the so-called "detention camps," "forced labor" and "forced sterilization" are groundless and utter nonsense, as more than 1,200 people from over 100 countries, including foreign envoys to China, media journalists and religious figures, have witnessed the real Xinjiang and praised the government's efforts in fighting extremism in the region since 2018, said the statement. 

It noted that Canada and some of its allies do not care at all about the truth of the human rights situation of the people of Xinjiang, as their aim is simply to undermine the stability and long-term harmony in the region.

"They have repeatedly hyped up Xinjiang-related issues just so as to damage social stability and lasting peace in Xinjiang under the cover of human rights and create disturbances and obstacles to China's economic and social development. But a lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie," it said.

The embassy urged Canada to respect the facts and immediately correct its wrong actions, warning of possible countermeasures from China. 

"The attempt to pressure China by building an international alliance and resorting to sanctions is doomed to fail.  It will definitely be beaten head-on by China," it said in the statement. 

Shortly after the European Union imposed restrictive measures directed at China on Monday, China hit back with tit-for-tat countermeasures by sanctioning 10 individuals and four entities that have spread rumors and lies about Xinjiang. 

Global Times