Beijing’s mouthpiece has rubbished claims of a genocide in Xinjiang as “nonsense” a day after Marise Payne said there were “credible reports” of systematic abuse of Uyghur women.
The Foreign Minister on Thursday hit back at an extraordinary press conference held by the Chinese embassy that lashed Australia for its criticism of human rights abuses in China.
Ms Payne said Australia would continue to be “clear and consistent” in raising abuses in Xinjiang, where human rights groups estimate one million Uyghurs have been detained in internment camps.
But in an article published in Beijing’s mouthpiece Global Times on Friday, Australia was accused of spreading “groundless rumours” about Xinjiang.
“Their claim of ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is also nonsense since local people have lived a peaceful and prosperous life, thanks to Xinjiang’s governance,” it read.
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