China envoy vows ”fight” over alleged Xinjiang rights abuses

An envoy from China’s Xinjiang province said on Thursday that Chinese authorities are ready for a "fight" with "anti-China" critics in the West and elsewhere over allegations of rights abuses in the anti-extremism campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in the region. Xinjiang government spokesman Xu Guixiang said Chinese authorities won’t be afraid if "anti-China forces" attempt to use the ongoing Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva to seek greater scrutiny of the situation in Xinjiang. Xu has spoken repeatedly in defense of China’s policies designed to fight violent extremism in Xinjiang. This week he is heading a…