China's State Council Information Office issued a white paper A Guarantee of Equal Rights for All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang in July 2021. This is the ninth Xinjiang-related white paper published by the Chinese government. Through a large number of data and real cases, it presents a picture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as experiencing the best time in its history.

The protection of the seven human rights is comprehensive

This report describes and expounds upon the seven important human rights: civil rights, political rights, economic rights, cultural rights, social rights, women's and children's rights, and the right to freedom of religious belief, comprehensively presenting the current situation that the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are guaranteed by the Chinese government.

For some time, some American and Western media or politicians have been inclined to raise their perception of Xinjiang-related issues. They turned a blind eye to Xinjiang's rapid economic and social development which has resulted in the steady improvement of people's livelihood. Instead, they selectively choose to cherry pick and distort isolated topics in the fields of civil rights, political rights, and freedom of religious belief.

The white paper begins examining the protection of civil and political rights and concludes with the protection of the right to freedom of religious belief, which comprehensively responds to foreign queries with specifics in this province. Among the 61 deputies to the 13th National People's Congress elected in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 62.3% were representatives of ethnic minorities. Minority representatives accounted for most of the people's congresses at all levels, including autonomous regions (64.42%), cities (54.22%) counties (59.11%), and townships (73.46%). The proportion of minority members in the elected legislative bodies of the United States and the United Kingdom is nowhere near that large.

In Xinjiang today, the seven human rights are guaranteed to all equally

The concept and principle of equality are mentioned more than 20 times in this report, which reveals the prominence that equality holds as a guarantee of human rights. It is not only true that people of all ethnic groups enjoy equal rights to access toeconomic development, equal participation in work environments, and the right to pursue their family prosperity; it is also true that the government in Xinjiang adheres to the constitutional principle of equality between men and women guaranteeing women's participation in democratic decision-making, management, and supervision of state and social affairs.

The report states, "Equality is the eternal pursuit of mankind, and ethnic equality is one of China's fundamental principles." Under the protection of the Constitution and laws, all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are equal, treated equally, interconnected, and working together harmoniously toward common goals. Religious belief is free, and the several religions found in Xinjiang are all treated the same way. No citizen is discriminated against or treated unfairly because of religion or non-belief.

In Xinjiang today, the guarantee of the seven human rights is unique

Across the globe, we can see that the level of development and realization of human rights differs from place to place. Because of differing historical experiences, there is a variety of objective priorities within countries in the promotion and development of human rights. There are stages of human rights development -- no country's human rights record is perfect, and there is no universal human rights standard.

When talking about China's history and culture, Mr. Ji Xianlin (Chinese historian and writer) once said, "It has always been the nation's greatest political priority to solve the problems of food, clothing, and survival for the Chinese people." Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have been guaranteed the right to subsistence and development. Perfecting this guarantee, the historic problem of absolute poverty has been finally solved in China. From 1955 to 2020, at constant prices, Xinjiang's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) increased by 160.3 times, andper capita GDP increased 30.3 times. From 1978 to 2020, the per capita disposable income of urban residents increased by 108.2 times and rural residents by 116.9 times.

Behind the figures and stories in this white paper is a picture of China's record in human rights, based on actual conditions, people-centered development as the top priority, rule of law as the criterion, and an open and equal community as the source of energy. With the continuing betterment and development of the Xinjiang governing priorities, the human rights environment in Xinjiang has been enriched and developed.

As some observers have said, China advocates that human rights construction will be on the way forever. We will stick to this causeceaselessly. Xinjiang, which is already in the best period of its historical development, will surely experience a better tomorrow.