Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

The lies about Xinjiang are frequently hyped up by the West, seemingly becoming a habit. Recently, the news about Volkswagen selling its plant in Xinjiang, along with a claim by Uniqlo's CEO that they are not "using cotton from Xinjiang," has been maliciously misinterpreted and exaggerated by Western media. The BBC also seized the opportunity to publish a report on "tests" involving Xinjiang tomatoes. On Monday, the BBC reported that 17 products of Italian tomato purees sold in several UK supermarkets might contain tomatoes from Xinjiang, concluding that Italian tomato purees "appear to contain tomatoes grown and picked in China using forced labor." This almost equates Xinjiang with "forced labor," which is a blatant smear campaign against China.

The report only cited the so-called hard-to-verify claims, with some individuals allegedly "enduring or witnessing" "forced labour" and even "torture" in tomato fields. All the supermarkets whose products were tested dispute BBC's findings. It's fair to say this kind of reporting is, frankly, against common sense. The BBC's latest attempt at "fabricating a story" is rather clumsy. In Xinjiang, whether it's cotton or tomatoes, mechanization has largely replaced manual labor from planting to harvesting. For instance, in Shawan City, Tacheng Prefecture, more than 30,000 mu of tomatoes were harvested 100 percent mechanically this year. An efficient harvesting machine can harvest 100 mu of land in one day, which is equivalent to the total manual picking capacity of 150 people in one day. According to the latest data, the mechanization rate for cotton harvesting in Xinjiang has exceeded 85 percent. As an internationally renowned media outlet, it is truly embarrassing that the BBC has published such a boundary-crossing and fact-distorting report on the Xinjiang issue.

Xinjiang is one of the world's three major tomato production hubs, and processing tomatoes is a significant industry for locals to increase their income and improve their livelihoods. Now, the BBC, without any evidence, is relentlessly labeling Xinjiang tomatoes with the tag of "forced labor" and pressuring global manufacturers, retailers, and even consumers not to sell or use Xinjiang tomatoes. Aren't BBC's baseless accusations and "media trials" a form of bullying against the people in Xinjiang? Like Xinjiang cotton, Xinjiang tomatoes are high-quality products known worldwide and a vital pillar of the local economy. Smearing these two iconic Xinjiang specialties will undoubtedly put pressure on local people's jobs and livelihoods. This is a real and tangible harm to the human rights of the people of Xinjiang.

The Western media, which claims to "protect human rights in Xinjiang," is actually creating forced "decoupling," forced unemployment, and forced poverty in the region. Nothing could be more hypocritical. According to the BBC report, "traceability investigations" were conducted on 64 different tomato purees sold in the UK, Germany and the US, with some tests lasting several months. This raises questions: BBC journalists can spend so much time investigating the source of tomato purees but are unwilling to invest even a little time in learning the truth about Xinjiang - do they really care about Xinjiang? Isn't this an extreme disregard for the survival and development rights of the people in Xinjiang?

From Xinjiang cotton to Xinjiang tomatoes, the BBC and similar outlets are not merely stirring up issues about cotton or tomatoes, but rather about lies and confrontation. Their false reports hinder the sharing of high-quality products from Xinjiang with the world and brutally deprive Western audiences of their right to understand the truth about the region. The resulting rift and conflict between China and the West are clearly detrimental to global cooperation and progress. 

Given that the fabricated narratives about Xinjiang target its high-quality products, one cannot help but wonder: Is this part of a carefully designed "de-Sinicization" of the supply chain? The so-called "protection of human rights in Xinjiang" is nothing more than a fig leaf for trade protectionism.

The BBC and similar outlets seem to believe that as long as the "information cocoon" regarding Xinjiang is thick enough, they can artificially sever the world's understanding of the region. However, in the digital information age, this is merely self-deception; the truth is difficult to conceal, especially regarding Xinjiang, which is becoming increasingly important in the global manufacturing chain. While there may be some noise surrounding Xinjiang's development and progress, nothing can undermine the determination of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to achieve a better life. 

China has recently announced the completion of the 3,046-kilometer green belt of trees surrounding the Taklamakan Desert, which is the world's longest ecological barrier around a desert. Another piece of news that has garnered attention from foreign media is that the Chinese government is building a hub for aquaculture in the arid region of Xinjiang, with millions of pearls being harvested in the desert. The picture of high-quality development painted by these two news stories is starkly different from the portrayal of Xinjiang by the BBC. Which one truly represents Xinjiang? As more foreign friends visit Xinjiang and see for themselves, it's believed this question will have a clearer answer.

Xinjiang is a microcosm of China's development. The right of over 1.4 billion people to pursue modernization is undeniable and unstoppable; it represents a significant advancement in human civilization. Including Xinjiang, China's modernization process will undoubtedly provide new development opportunities for various countries and regions and contribute to global shared prosperity. The slander directed at Xinjiang by entities like the BBC cannot tarnish the region's reputation, nor can it hinder its development; it only exposes their own narrow-mindedness and will leave an embarrassing mark in history.