Residents and media representatives from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Friday denounced the "forced labor" slander fabricated by Western anti-China forces at two separate press conferences in the regional capital Urumqi.

Hayrat, the host of a press conference featuring Xinjiang residents, said the so-called "forced labor" is nothing but nonsense, and only serves to disrupt the region's anti-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts, while smearing Xinjiang's image and hindering its development.

Omarjan Erkin, a nang bread baker in Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, earns more than 5,000 yuan (about 784.9 U.S. dollars) a month. He said that he has not heard of anyone being forced to work. "We have complete freedom to do whatever we want and there is no pressure of any kind," he added.

Muhadas Mutalif, from the same prefecture, runs a convenience store with her mother. She has also engaged in e-commerce through the business platform of Wechat and made a lot of friends.

"I have flexible working hours and enough time to hang out with my friends," she said.

Hayrat said Xinjiang's employment policies and practices fully comply with China's Constitution and laws, as well as international labor and human rights standards.

With the implementation of a series of policies and measures to boost employment in the region, the goal of ensuring that "every family has access to employment, everyone has a job, and everyone can earn a monthly income" has been basically achieved, according to Hayrat.

At another press conference on Friday joined by media representatives from across Xinjiang, Jin Feng, deputy editor-in-chief of Xinjiang Daily, shared stories collected across the region by the newspaper's reporters.

Abdukadir Ablat, 22, comes from Makit County in Kashgar Prefecture. After graduating from a technical school, he went back to his hometown to plant dates.

Over the past two years, he learned the latest cultivation techniques from his neighbors, who hailed from central China's Henan Province. He also learned how to operate and repair agricultural machinery, as well as cattle and sheep breeding. Now he works in the local cooperative during his spare time and earns some 2,000 yuan more per month.

"During an interview with our reporter, Abdukadir Ablat said that his life is very fulfilling now, and it's a common wish of local people to earn a good living using their own hands," said Jin. 

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