Chinese authorities take a hard line on comments by Premier League player

[admin]

Geng Shuang in his role as spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry has claimed Arsenal's Mesut Ozil was "deceived by fake news" in his comments on the treatment of Uighur Muslims.

Ozil has labelled called Uighurs Muslim population as warriors who resist persecution" in his post on social media and criticised the actions of China and also of other muslins who are silent on this issue.

Geng Shuang said the Arsenal player has been "influenced by untruthful remarks" and invited him to visit the autonomous Xinjiang region and "have a look" for himself.

"I don't know if Mr Ozil has been to Xinjiang himself - but it seems he has been deceived by fake news, and that his judgment was influenced by untruthful remarks.

"If Mr Ozil has the opportunity, we will be pleased to see him go to Xinjiang and have a look."

Geng Shuang is a Chinese politician serving as deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of the People's Republic of China. He is the 30th spokesperson since the spokesperson system was established in the ministry in 1983.

Rights groups claim over a million people in the Muslim Uighur community have been detained without trial in high-security prison camps in the western part of China. However authorities deny mistreating Uighur Muslims say they are merely being educated in vocational training centres to combat violent religious extremism.

China's state broadcaster CCTV recently removed Arsenal's Premier League match against Manchester City and Ozil's fan club on the Chinese search engine Baidu has also been removed with the reason being "In front of national interest, any individual hobby doesn't matter any more."

As many people know you rattle the cage of the Chinese authorities at your own risk !!!