Xinjiang-based Belgian entrepreneur refutes 'forced labor' accusations

URUMQI - A Belgian entrepreneur who runs a company in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has refuted the accusations of "forced labor" in the region.

Speaking at a video conference on Wednesday, Decombel Danny Camiel said he has dealt with cotton farmers in Xinjiang for more than a decade and has never seen any "forced labor" or human rights violations.

The entrepreneur has opened a fertilizer company in Xinjiang, and, therefore, has frequent contact with local cotton farmers.

He said people in Xinjiang are warm and hospitable, and that local people from different ethnic groups gather together to celebrate festivals.

Some 120 people, including ambassadors, diplomats, UN officials, Chinese and foreign media and NGO representatives attended the video conference, which was held by the Xinjiang regional government and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations. The event was broadcast live by UN Web TV and watched by nearly 1,000 people.

Several grassroots representatives from Xinjiang, including ethnic minority women and migrant workers, shared their experiences at the conference via video link, bearing testimony to the region's social stability, economic development and how people live and work in peace and contentment.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said facts and truths on Xinjiang's development are there for everyone to see. More than 1,000 diplomats, journalists and religious figures from over 100 countries have visited Xinjiang upon invitation, and they were all deeply impressed by the region's robust development.

He expressed hopes that the conference will allow people to hear the real voices from Xinjiang, see the reality of the region and help understand a real Xinjiang.