China said on Friday United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is welcome to visit Xinjiang, where Beijing faces serious human rights allegations against Uygur Muslims, after the ꧃Winter Olympic Games to promote cooperation and not an investigation based on the “presumption of guilt”.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a media briefing here that the invitation was extended a long time ago and the two sides have been maiꦰntaining communication.
"China welcomes Madam B💛achelet to visit China, including Xinjiang,” Zhao said.
“Our position is consistent and clear. The purpose of the visit ꧒is to promote exchange and cooperation, not investigation based on the presumption of guilt. We oppose anyone using this for political manipulation to pressure China✱,” he said.
The spokesman, however, skirted a direct aꦗnswer when asked to comment on a media report stating China is also insisting Bachelet should not release her report on Xinjiang before the February 4 Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony as demanded by US politicians.
“I can tell you Xinjia𝔉ng enjoys economic prosperity and social order and people there are leading happy lives with their human rights fully protected,” he said.
China firmly opposes tactics of ♏using Xinjiang tಞo smear the country by distorting facts, he said.
China has launched a dip🥂lomatic offensive to mobilise world leaders to attend the February 4 opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics as the US, the EU and several western countries announced a boycott of the event by their diplomats to highlight the allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, including the incarceration of over a million Uygur Muslims in camps.
A host of world leaders including Russ💟ian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Primeꦿ Minister Imran Khan, besides UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are due to attend the opening ceremony to show solidarity with Beijing.
China defends the camps, describing them as re-education centres aimed at de-radicalising sections of the Uyghur Muslim ൩population from extremism and separatism campaign carried out by the East Turkistan Islamic Mov✃ement (ETIM).
On Friday, Hong Kong-based South China Mor✃ning Post reported China has agreed tღo host a visit to Xinjiang by Bachelet “in the first half of the year after the Beijing Winter Olympics.”
Bachelet recently secured Beijing’s approval for a visit to the region sometime after the Olympic Games, on the prerequisite that the trip should be “friendly” in nature and not framed as an investigation, the report saidꦏ.
Beijing also insisted that Bachelet’s office hold off on publishing a report into Xinjiang ahead of the ღGames, as requested by Washington, the media report quoted sources as ⭕saying.
Besides the diplomatic boycott, the US brought about legislation that effectively bans all imports from Xinjiang, over allegations of forced lab𓃲our.
Two US lawmakers, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern, on the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China last week released a letter sent to Bachelet asking her to publicly release her office’s Xinjiang 𒈔report before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the report said.
