The United States' sanctions against Chinese entities and officials over issues related to China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are typical political maneuvering and interference in the country's internal affairs, Xu Jianying, a research fellow at the Research Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told China.org.cn in a recent interview.

On July 9, the U.S. placed visa and asset sanctions on one Chinese government entity and four officials in Xinjiang over alleged human rights abuses in the region based on U.S. domestic laws. In response to these wrong moves, the Chinese government has announced corresponding sanctions against a U.S. entity and four U.S. officials.

The anti-terrorism and deradicalization measures in Xinjiang are legitimate, and have effectively curbed the rise of violent terrorist activities, as well as protected the basic human rights of people of all ethnic groups in the region, said Xu.

"In the past few decades, when the human rights of people in the region were trampled over by terrorists, why did the U.S. not stand up and condemn the terrorist forces?" asked Xu. "The recent U.S. sanctions are purely political maneuvering."

Having spent decades studying the history and current situation of Xinjiang, Xu argued that human rights are being used as an excuse to interfere in China's internal affairs and the U.S. moves are by no means for the interests of people in Xinjiang.

Xu explained that the U.S. sanctions against Xinjiang companies are designed to break the country's industrial chain, noting that Xinjiang is an important cotton producing area in China, with an annual output of more than 5 million tons, accounting for more than 80% of the national total.

"People can clearly see what's going on when it comes to the question of whether the U.S. is interested in helping lift Xinjiang people out of poverty or creating more unrest to curb China's development."

He also dismissed claims of "forced population control" in Xinjiang, saying that such claims are ridiculous and unfounded smears.

"The Uygur population in Xinjiang increased from around 3.2 million back in 1949 to nearly 12 million by 2019. Over the past 70 years, it has increased by more than 3.7 times. In the same period, the country's total population rose from 540 million to 1.4 billion, approximately a 2.6-fold increase," Xu said.

"Judging from this growth rate, how can the Western media allege that China limits the population growth of the Uygur people?"

Xu believes that the ultimate purpose of the U.S. is to hamper the economic development of Xinjiang, stir up ethnic tensions, and even split the region from China, so as to contain the country's development.

"Xinjiang is home to a number of ethnic groups, and faces threats from terrorism, religious extremism and separatism. Terrorist and separatist organizations including the U.S.-funded World Uyghur Congress collude with some Western anti-China forces. Therefore, Xinjiang has been chosen as a tool to contain China," Xu added.

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