Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin speaks at a press conference in Beijing, on Sept 25, 2023. (PHOTO / FMPRC.GOV.CN)

BEIJING - The United States should stop smearing China and stop meddling in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Wednesday.

It was reported that on September 26, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it added three China-based companies to an entity list as a result of Xinjiang-related "forced labor" enforcement.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing that China has made clear time and again that the allegation of "forced labor" in Xinjiang is nothing but an enormous lie propagated by people against China to smear the country's image

In response, spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing that China has made clear time and again that the allegation of "forced labor" in Xinjiang is nothing but an enormous lie propagated by people against China to smear the country's image.

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"It is the very opposite of the fact that the rights and interests of people of all ethnic backgrounds in Xinjiang are effectively protected," he said.

Wang said the United States uses that lie as a basis to enforce the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," blacklist Chinese entities and go after more Chinese companies.

The move is actually aimed at undermining Xinjiang's prosperity and stability and containing China's development, and the move also tears at international trade rules and market order, he added.

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"We urge the United States to immediately stop smearing China and stop meddling in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. We will continue to resolutely safeguard Chinese companies' legitimate and lawful rights and interests," Wang said.