The Economist's articles on Xinjiang made groundless accusations against China's policy and were gross interference in China's internal affairs ("Torment of the Uyghurs", "Orphaned by the state", October 17th). The issues you raised have nothing to do with human rights, ethnic groups or religions, and everything to do with fighting violent terrorism, separatism and extremism. Extremist forces have carried out thousands of violent attacks in Xinjiang. For this reason its government has taken resolute action to crack down on such violence, in accordance with the law. The deradicalisation measures have curbed terrorist activities; there has not been a single attack for over three years. Feeling more safe, these measures have won the extensive and heartfelt support of people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

You described the region's vocational education and training centres as akin to concentration camps and re-education camps. They are neither of these. They are useful and positive explorations of preventive and deradicalisation measures. The centres were established to address the root causes of extremism and to prevent further terrorist activities. They fall in line with the principles embodied in a number of international documents on counter-terrorism, such as the un Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In nature, they are no different from the Desistance and Disengagement Programme in Britain, community corrections in the United States, or deradicalisation centres in France.

At these vocational education and training centres, those who have been led astray by extremism or who have committed minor crimes learn the common language, legal knowledge and vocational skills. This helps them break with extremism. The constitutional and legal principles that respect and safeguard human rights are strictly followed. The trainees' dignity, freedom, right to use languages of their own ethnic groups, customs and habits, and freedom of religious belief are all fully respected.

A few anti-China organisations invented the lie that nearly a million Uyghurs are detained. Their absurd conclusion is based on interviews with only a handful of people, and some news reports from an extremist organisation outside China, which therefore lacks any factual basis. An online video, which is said to have been authenticated by Western intelligence agencies, is used as proof that a large number of Uyghurs are imprisoned. Actually, the video shows the transfer of a group of prisoners at the Kashgar Detention House, which is a normal judicial practice.

It is also a lie that forced sterilisation is carried out in Xinjiang. A family-planning policy was introduced to all areas of Xinjiang in 1992 to comply with the national population law and achieve the balanced and sustainable development of the population. Between 2010 and 2018 the Uyghur population soared by 25%, the local Han population by just 2%.

As for the so-called victims of prosecution in some online videos, their true identities are not what they claim. The truth is, they are either "East Turkistan" elements engaged in anti-China and separatist activities, or actors trained by anti-China forces in America and other Western countries to spread rumours about China.

Xinjiang is purely China's internal affair. Human rights in the region continue to develop and progress. From 2014 to 2019, gdp in Xinjiang grew at an average annual rate of 7.2%. The incidence of poverty has fallen to 1.2%. You have turned a blind eye to our previous clarifying statements and are spreading fallacies, fanning the false charge that China is engaged in a "crime against humanity".

We urge The Economist to address this negative impact, respect the facts, and write objective and impartial articles on Xinjiang.