China on Wednesday said the US exhibited 鈥渂andit behavior鈥� by what Beijing called 鈥渟tealing鈥� oil from Syria.
According to the Chinese daily Global Times, China鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was responding to reports about Washington transferring 鈥渟tolen oil鈥� to northern Iraq from 鈥渙ccupied Syrian oilfields.鈥�
鈥淏andit behavior!鈥� Wang told a news conference in Beijing, referring to the alleged US oil activities.
Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 regime in Damascus has often accused Washington of smuggling oil out of the war-torn nation.
鈥淭he US occupation forces have transported tanker trucks loaded with stolen oil and vehicles carrying military equipment from the al-Jazeera region (of Hasakah province) towards Iraqi territory,鈥� the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported last weekend.
On allegations that Beijing was trying to prevent the outgoing UN human rights chief from releasing her report on Xinjiang, Wang said Michelle Bachelet 鈥渨itnessed with her own eyes China鈥檚 developmental path and human rights achievements.鈥�
鈥淐hina firmly opposes the fabrication of lies to smear China,鈥� he added.
Bachelet, whose term ends at the end of August, made a week-long trip to China in May 鈥� the first such visit by any top UN human rights official since 2005.
The northwestern province of Xinjiang is home to ethnic Uyghurs, mostly Muslims.
China has been accused of ethnic cleansing of Uyghurs in the autonomous region. Beijing has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations 鈥渓ies.鈥濃�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧��
By Riyaz ul Khaliq
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr