Zhao Lijian Photo: VCG

 "I want to tell you a joke. The US wrote in a report that its government will safeguard and protect human rights of all people of the world," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday, in response to a US annual report accusing China of "committing genocide and crimes against humanity." 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday released an annual report on genocide and atrocities prevention, which claimed to "provide direct detailed accounts of atrocities" taking place in six countries, including Myanmar, Ethiopia, China and Syria. It accuses China of "committing genocide and crimes against humanity" against Uyghurs and other minorities in its Xinjiang region. 

Zhao said the US' move is "ridiculous and with its own notorious human rights record, instead of correcting its own problems, some people in the US always want to point fingers at others. A report made under this logic is "waste paper." 

"I want to tell you another joke. The US has smeared China for 'committing genocide' and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. This is the biggest lie of the century," Zhao said, noting that when talking about genocide, it suits the US perfectly. 

The US should not forget the poor souls of Africans who were slaughtered 100 years ago in Tulsa, the native Americans who were driven and killed in the US Westward Movement in the 19th century and the tragic death of Floyd, said Zhao.

The spokesperson noted that the US pays no attention to human rights, as it has made more than 600,000 people lose their lives to COVID-19. The US has made minorities live in fear of racial discrimination and hate crimes and it has left refugees, immigrants and children suffering from torture, poverty and forced labor. 

The US also committed illegal killings during its overseas military missions and there is solid evidence of mistreatment of civilians in other countries, Zhao said, noting "The US is not qualified to point fingers at other countries' human rights situation." 

But it has gone astray by hyping lies on Xinjiang and its plan to use Xinjiang as way to contain China is doomed to fail, Zhao said. "The US should take more time to solve its own human rights problems."