A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday slammed a New York Times (NYT) report on China's building of "detention camps" in Xinjiang Uygur Automous Region.

File photo: CGTN

Geng Shuang, a spokesperson from the ministry, made the remarks at a regular press conference, reiterating that Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs. 

China has published seven white papers on the issues of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization and job-training measures ever since 2015.

Dozens of terrorist incidents had happened in Xinjiang between 1990 and 2016, leading to huge economic losses and casualties. In confronting tough situations, China stepped up its fight against violence and crimes, safeguarding local people's basic human rights, the white papers said.

Thousands of foreign envoys, international organization officials and journalists have visited Xinjiang and commended China's tremendous efforts and achievements in the promotion and protection of human rights, and voiced their support for counter-terrorism measures in Xinjiang.

Yet NYT turned a blind eye to the facts and intentionally smashed Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts by delivering a misleading statement from the so-called "inside papers", said Geng.

Care for human rights is a hypocritical excuse used by Western forces to interfere in Chinese internal affairs, which is doomed to fail.

China will continue to take firm and forceful measures to resolutely safeguard sovereignty, security and development interests.

(Compiled by Bai Yuanqi)