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"The so-called ‘forced labor’in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is complete lie made up by some US institutions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday, noting that Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs, in which the US has no right to interfere.

The US House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass and impose the so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a blanket ban on imports from China's Xinjiang region, and vowed to stop the “systematic forced labor."

“China is strongly indignant and firmly opposes this move, and has made solemn representations to the US”, Wang said.

According to Wang, some in the US claim to be "concerned" about Xinjiang's ethnic minorities, while ignoring the great efforts of the local governments in safeguarding human rights and promoting employment in Xinjiang.

“They are using ‘forced labor’ as an excuse to crack down on enterprises in Xinjiang. Their hidden agenda is, in fact, to interfere in China's internal affairs and seek personal political gain by playing the China card,” Wang said.

The State Council Information Office of China recently published a white paper on "Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang", which is a fact-based record of Xinjiang's proactive labor and employment policy, and efforts to safeguard the basic employment rights of Uyghur people.

“If people in the US are concerned about employment in Xinjiang, I advise them to read the white paper,” said Wang. 

Wang urged the US to immediately stop hyping the so-called "forced labor" issue and interfering in China's internal affairs.

“Consideration and implementation of any negative acts on Xinjiang affairs shall be put to an end. China will take the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests,” he added.

(Compiled by Luo Dantong)