The Embassy of China in Belgium noticed an article on a Belgium TV news media website titled China picks up Uyghurs in Xinjiang on the basis of "behavior analyzing software", which cited so called "evidence" from "Human Rights Watch", an US anti-China NGO. It vilified Xinjiang's measures for better social governance as surveillance and arbitrary arrest targeting Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. This is not the first time similar false media reports have turned up in the media, which are nothing better than malicious slanders. Such attempt aims to sabotage prosperity and stability in Xinjiang and seek pretext to have a hand in China's internal affairs, to which we firmly oppose. The Embassy would like to set the record straight on the matter so that the Belgian public would not be misinformed.

Facing grave threats of terrorism and extremism, the Xinjiang government has taken multiple measures to stem violent terrorist activities and uproot extremism, including the installation of cameras in public places in accordance with the law. These measures aim to improve social governance and prevent and fight crimes. It is a common international practice and doesn't target any specific ethnicity. For four years in a row, not a single violent and terrorist incident has taken place in Xinjiang. The measure has been widely supported by people of all ethnic groups as it makes society safer and effectively curb the frequent terrorist incidents.

When it comes to "surveillance", the U.S. government has asked 20 airports across the nation to scan passengers for face recognition in 2017 and the FBI's massive facial recognition apparatus can match against over 640 million photos without a warrant or probable cause. Why the use of surveillance devices in the US is just, reasonable and necessary for the protection of human rights, while the use of them in China is unjust, unresonable and discriminatory? Isn't it glaring double-standard? So called "reeducation camps" and "forced labor" are pure fiction, as have been refuted time and again by the spokesman of the Embassy. The Embassy of China in Belgium urges related Belgian media to renounce the ideological bias and uphold an objective and fair attitude to give fair reports on China.