US hits China over reports of Uighur 'family planning'

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo denounced China Monday following the reports that Beijing forces birth control on Uighurs to suppress their population.

"The world received disturbing reports today that the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] is using forced sterilization, forced abortion, and coercive family planning against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, as part of a continuing campaign of repression," Pompeo denounced in a statement.

He said German researcher Adrian Zenz's "shocking revelations are sadly consistent with decades of CCP practices that demonstrate an utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and basic human dignity."

Pompeo urged Beijing to immediately end "these horrific practices" and asked all nations to join the US in demanding an end to "these dehumanizing abuses."

The 32-page report penned by Zenz and revealed Saturday is based on a research carried out in 2017-2018 which brought to light the Chinese government's campaign of repression and mass internment directed against ethnic Uighur people in Xinjiang.

China's Foreign Ministry rejected the claims by saying the government treats all ethnicities equally and called the report "fabricated".

Xinjiang region is home to around 10 million Uighurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45% of Xinjiang's population, has long accused China's authorities of cultural, religious and economic discrimination.

Up to 1 million people, or about 7% of the Muslim population in Xinjiang, have been incarcerated in an expanding network of "political re-education" camps, according to US officials and UN experts.