China rejects US secretary of state's criticism on Xinjiang

China's government has denounced US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comment that Beijing is trying to erase Muslim culture in its northwest.

A foreign ministry spokesman on Monday rejected Pompeo's comment at the United Nations that the detention of Chinese Muslims is unrelated to anti-terrorism activity.

The spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Chinese activities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where critics say Muslims are held in detention camps, are the same as de-radicalization efforts in other countries.

Geng said US political leaders "slandered China's policy toward Xinjiang and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs.