Spokesman hits out at ‘groundless’ genocide claims in China’s Xinjiang region

Visitors look at the Urumqi skyline from an observation tower at the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi in western China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

A spokesman for the Xinjiang region called accusations of genocide “counter to the facts” as China came under more pressure this week over its treatment of the Uighur ethnic group in the remote border area.

The UK Parliament approved a non-binding motion on Thursday that said China’s policies amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.