China rejects US report on terrorism

The report alleged that Beijing had implemented stricter controls and curbs on religious practice in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region

China has rejected a US report on terrorism, saying that it carried "false accounts" of its crackdown on East Turkistan Islamic Movement in the volatile Xinjiang province.

China is "dissatisfied" with the false accounts relating to China in a US State Department report on terrorism, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

In the "Country Reports on Terrorism 2015," the US blamed China for primarily focusing on East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in its international counterterrorism.

"China is dissatisfied with the false accounts relating to China, and regrets the unobjective remarks concerning China-US counterterrorism cooperation," Hua was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

"China does not accept the US making irresponsible comments about the counterterrorism policies of other countries including China," Hua said.

The report alleged that China had implemented stricter controls and curbs on religious practice in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and that there is a lack of transparency and information provided by it about violent incidents in China that the government characterised as terrorism.

Calling terrorism the "arch-enemy of human civilisation," Hua said joint counterterrorism efforts were a pressing task and the responsibility of the international community and double standards will do little to help international cooperation.

China has always attached importance to and participated in international counterterrorism cooperation, and will continue to have exchanges with other countries including the US, Hua said.

She called on relevant countries to respect China's efforts to combat East Turkistan forces, including the ETIM, which is listed by the UN as a terrorist group.

China blames al Qaeda-backed ETIM for the violence in Xinjiang and other parts of the country.

Xinjiang was on the boil for several years as Uyghur Muslims who constituted majority in the province were restive about settlement of Hans from other provinces.