China’s ethnic policy chief slams ‘ignorance of history’ in Xinjiang assimilation claims
- Pan Yue says international narrative contradicts facts in its portrayal of Xinjiang culture as separate from Chinese culture
China’s top ethnic policy official has dismissed claims that Xinjiang is being “assimilated” into Chinese culture as “ignorance of history”.
“There is an inaccurate narrative in the international community that separates Xinjiang culture from Chinese culture and even sets them against each other. But a large amount of archaeological evidence tells us that Xinjiang has been an important part of the Chinese cultural sphere since ancient times,” Pan said.
“There is also an international narrative that contradicts the facts and portrays Xinjiang’s relationship with Chinese culture as ‘assimilation’. This is ignorance of Chinese history.”
The people of ancient western regions far from central China – some small states ruled by nomadic peoples rather than the Han Chinese who later became the majority of the Chinese population – “have also been co-creators of Chinese culture”, Pan said.
