China slams U.S., EU's so-called concern over China's new l

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China urged the United States and the EU to stop hyping up the so-called ethnic issue, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

According to media reports, the United States and EU have expressed so-called concern over China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, which entered into force on Wednesday.

In response, Guo told a regular press briefing that by taking a biased view and maliciously smearing China's ethnic policies, the relevant countries have concocted and spread disinformation, blatantly interfered in China's internal affairs, and undermined China's ethnic unity. "China firmly opposes this," said Guo.

China is a multi-ethnic country where various ethnic groups are all equal and united in a harmonious relationship of mutual assistance, said Guo, noting strengthening the rule of law is conducive to better protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups and enhancing ethnic unity.

The Chinese government attaches high importance to preserving ethnic minority cultures, and lawfully safeguards the right of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages. China's practices and achievements in this area have been widely recognized by the international community, said Guo.

Certain countries, entrenched in ideological prejudice and driven by political manipulation, choose to turn a blind eye to China's progress in socioeconomic development and human rights protection. Instead, they take things out of context, maliciously slander China's ethnic policies, and fabricate and spread misinformation. With such gross interference in China's internal affairs, they attempt to undermine ethnic unity in China, Guo added.