An article by Jia Chunyang, Research Associate of the Chinese Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in the Guangming Daily (September 20) insisted that "Employment is the foundation of people's livelihood. For any country and region, the employment issue is a top priority" and that "the Chinese government, which insists on putting the people at the center, has always regarded stabilizing employment and protecting people's livelihood as an important goal of economic and social development". It asserted that in Xinjiang, the Government "has always regarded the promotion of labor and employment as the largest livelihood project, insisting on the combination of independent employment of laborers, market-regulated employment, government promotion of employment and encouragement of entrepreneurship, to increase employment through multiple channels, and do everything possible to stabilize employment". It claimed that the material and cultural life of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang has consequently improved, "and the human rights of all ethnic groups have been effectively protected and developed". The article added that "however, for some time, the US and Western anti-China forces, out of ideological prejudice and turbulent anti-China attempts in Xinjiang, wantonly hyped up the so-called “forced labor” issue in Xinjiang under the guise of “protecting human rights” and spared no effort to carry out various labor and employment work in Xinjiang. At the same time as this slander, it took the opportunity to impose sanctions on China's Xinjiang-related officials, institutions and enterprises. This out-of-the-art hype, wanton slander, and arbitrary sanctions have fully exposed the long-standing bullying style and naked "double standards" of the United States and the West in international affairs, and it is also a good thing for the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang through labour. A stain of life's efforts". Stating that "Xinjiang is located in the northwest of China, limited by historical and natural conditions, development is relatively lagging, and there are relatively many poor people. Coupled with the infiltration and influence of extremism, some people have backward concepts, low education levels, and weak employability. As a result, their lives have fallen into poverty for a long time", it cited statistics to show China's success in alleviating the peoples' conditions. It said "as of the end of 2019, 737,600 households and 2,923,200 people in Xinjiang had been lifted out of poverty, 3,107 poor villages had been withdrawn, and 25 poor counties had dropped their hats. The incidence of poverty dropped from 19.4% at the end of 2013 to 1.24%. From 2018 to 2019 alone, 155,000 labourers from poor families in the southern Xinjiang region and the four deeply impoverished groups of the XPCC were transferred to employment and achieved poverty alleviation". It said in conclusion that "no matter how the United States and the West hype up the so-called "forced labour" issue in Xinjiang", they "cannot shake the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to create a better life and construction through hard work .... Wanting to tarnish Xinjiang people's yearning for a better life will only expose the bullying and "double standards" of the United States and the West, as well as their disregard and disrespect for human rights.
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