It is only because Washington chooses to identify what is and is not terrorism according to its own interests that it turns a blind eye to the reality in Xinjiang.

In fact, China has done a great job in cracking down on terrorism and extremism. The vocational training centers it has established for local people to keep them from being misled by extremism have proved to be a great success.

They have not only helped prevent extremism finding an audience, but also equipped local people with vocational skills so they can make a decent living.

It is definitely a much better way to fight terrorism and extremism than the US' practices at Guantanamo Bay.

Thanks to the training centers, it is three years since Xinjiang was last plagued by a terrorist attack. As a result, the region has received an unprecedented number of tourists from home and abroad, which has greatly stimulated the development of the local economy.

A Cold War mentality is the only explanation for what the US secretary of state said about Xinjiang. That he made his remarks just ahead of the UN General Assembly session suggests that the US will challenge China on this matter during the UN gathering.

But Washington should not deceive itself by believing that it has the right to interfere in China's internal affairs. Doing so will only make things even more difficult for relations between the two countries.