China's top political advisory body opposes US signing of so-called 'Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act'

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Friday expressed strong indignation at and opposition to the United States signing the "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" into law.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee said in a statement that the act grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and seriously violates basic norms governing international relations.

Stressing the country's efforts to protect citizens' right to employment and to prevent and eliminate forced labor in any form, the statement said the employment policies and practices in Xinjiang are in accordance with China's Constitution and laws, as well as the international standards of labor and human rights.

The U.S. side has chosen to ignore the widely recognized fact that people in Xinjiang enjoy political stability, economic development and happy lives, the statement said.

The United States has repeatedly spread misinformation about Xinjiang and engaged in political manipulation and economic coercion under the pretext of human rights, fully exposing its aim to contain China's development through issues related to Xinjiang, the statement noted.

"We urge the U.S. side to stop using so-called forced labor issues in Xinjiang to spread lies about China and undermine enterprises and industries in Xinjiang," it said.

Manipulating Xinjiang issues will not stop the people of Xinjiang from pursuing better lives, and it will not slow the historical trend of China's continuous development, it added.