'Happiness' in Xinjiang on the rise, China's Xi Jinping claims

Chinese President Xi Jinping has claimed that levels of happiness among all ethnic groups in the western region of Xinjiang are on the rise.

China plans to keep teaching its residents a “correct” outlook on China, Xinhua news agency quoted him saying on Saturday.

The statement has come in the wake of the international scrutiny China has come under over its treatment of Uighur Muslims and claims of alleged forced-labour abuses in Xinjiang.

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The United Nations had, in the General Assembly, even cited credible reports as saying one million Muslims held in camps have been put to work.

But China has repeatedly denied mistreating Uighurs and has been saying the camps are vocational training centres that are needed to tackle extremism.

“The sense of gain, happiness, and security among the people of all ethnic groups (in Xinjiang) has continued to increase,” Xi told a ruling Communist Party conference on Xinjiang held on Friday and Saturday, Xinhua said.

Xi said it was necessary to educate Xinjiang’s population on an understanding of the Chinese nation and guide “all ethnic groups on establishing a correct perspective on the country, history and nationality”.

“Practice has shown that the party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the new era is completely correct” and it should be a long-term approach, he added.

In July, Washington imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses against Uighurs under the Global Magnitsky Act.

The said act allows the United States government to target human rights violators by freezing any US assets, and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them.

(with inputs)