Gao Feng, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, calls on reporters to ask questions at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Wang Cong/GT

China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday it believes more and more companies and institutions will respect truth and facts with regard to the so-called "forced labor" lie concerning Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Gao Feng, China's commerce ministry spokesman told a regular press conference on Thursday that the so-called "forced labor" lie is protectionism and bullying under the guise of human rights, and has downtrodden international trade and economic order. 

Gao made the comments after Japanese retailer Muji said recently that it will continue to use Xinjiang cotton because it had found no evidence of human rights infringement in Xinjiang's cotton farms from its own investigation.

The lies are not only some countries abusing state apparatus to groundlessly crack down companies from the Chinese region, but crack down on multinational companies having normal trade and economic relationship with Xinjiang, noted Gao.

"It is an ugly trick of 'self-development first,'" Gao said.

Gao revealed that a number of international industry institutions and China-based representatives from multinational firms will visit the cotton fields and cotton mills in the autonomous region in the near future, and "one eyewitness is better than 10 people speculating."

China urged relevant countries to immediately stop their groundless crackdowns on companies, Gao said, adding that China is willing to continue its support and facilitation for foreign companies trading with and investing in Xinjiang.