EU: Xinjiang riot is China’s internal affair

The European Union respects China’s sovereignty and is not on the position of commenting on what has happened in Xinjiang. The EU hopes that the situation there will be back to normal as soon as possible.

Ambassador Serge Abou, head of the European Commission Delegation to China, gave those remarks in Beijing on July 8.

He said that Europe also had its own problem on the issue of minorities and sometimes there were riots. When that happens, “we would not like other governments to tell us what is to be done”, he said.

He expressed his “regret” --- as a long-time Beijing resident and a friend of China --- over the loss of lives and property in Xinjiang.

But “it is a Chinese issue, not an European issue”, he repeated.

More than 150 people died and other 1,000-odd injured following the riot on evening of July 5 in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.