China is 'educating' Muslims to avoid extremism's spread, not mistreating them: Beijing official

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

China is ‘educating’ Muslims to avoid extremism’s spread, not mistreating them: Beijing official

Residents watch a convoy of security personnel in a show of force through central Kashgar in western China's Xinjiang region last fall. Two U.S. lawmakers are urging the extension of American export restrictions to prevent sales of equipment that could be used in China's massive security clampdown targeting the Xinjiang region's native Muslim population. Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Chris Smith said in a letter Wednesday to the U.S. commerce secretary that they want foreign entities, including businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations, and individuals seen as profiting from the clampdown added to a watch list. | AP

Reuters

Sep 14, 2018

GENEVA – China is not mistreating Muslims in Xinjiang province but is putting some people through training courses to avoid extremism spreading, unlike Europe, which had failed to deal with the problem, a Chinese official told reporters on Thursday.

Reports of mass detentions of ethnic Uighurs and other ethnic Muslims in China’s far western region have sparked a growing international outcry, prompting the Trump administration to consider sanctions against officials and companies linked to allegations of human rights abuses.

“It is not mistreatment,” said Li Xiaojun, director for publicity at the Bureau of Human Rights Affairs of the State Council Information Office. “What China is doing is to establish professional training centers, educational centers.”