Sanctions by some Western countries targeting businesses in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region based on groundless accusations including "forced labor" have become one of the greatest challenges for the region's development, the Party chief of the region, Ma Xingrui, said.

Some Western countries have lied about Xinjiang and have smeared the region in the name of human rights protection to impede the region's growth, Ma said during a panel discussion with the Xinjiang delegation at the annual session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing.

"They want to see Xinjiang fall back into poverty so they can carry out activities including acts of separatism to interfere with China's development."

Relying on "fabricated evidence", the United States has imposed sanctions on Xinjiang businesses, alleging genocide and the use of forced labor, Ma said, and this has affected more than 144 businesses.

In employment matters, people in Xinjiang enjoy robust legal protections, so talk of forced labor is nonsensical, he said.

"I want people to visit Xinjiang and see what it is really like and not be duped by media intent on smearing Xinjiang."