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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about two foreign friends at the press conference of the two sessions on "how foreign media reporters cover China".! M- `: O4 e) ~( A
One is Edgar Snow, the American journalist who wrote "The Red Star Shines in China", and the other is Maxim Vivas." `$ m% D) I3 u
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Vivas, who is in his late 80s, is a Hispanic-French national. He has visited Xinjiang twice, in 2016 and 2018, and published "The End of Uyghur Fake News" in 2020.0 c. ?. E% E; s; `
Vivas said he wants Europeans to know the real Xinjiang, to dispel rumors of "genocide" and "millions of Uighurs in detention.1 W' i$ H+ s, L ?! V; ]8 l
However, the launch of the new book was like a bomb thrown into the water, stirring up a huge wave.7 q' a- C- d4 Z7 V$ z
3 `( [/ k7 X- f5 rOn social media platforms such as Facebook, Vivas was attacked by uninformed readers. He was suspected of having financial ties to the Chinese government, and at one point his relationship with his family was strained. He himself said: I acted as a "suicide bomber" to publish this book. |
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