U.S. 'genocide' allegation is lie of century: spokesperson

The U.S. "genocide" allegation is a lie of the century, which fully exposes its sinister intention of politicizing the Winter Olympics and maliciously smearing China with Xinjiang-related issues, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a related query that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday the U.S. administration could not allow it to be a distraction from the human rights abuses, the "genocide" it was seeing in parts of China, when she was asked that China used a young Uygur athlete to carry the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the Games in Beijing.

Zhao said that the selection of the final torchbearer at the opening ceremony is a normal arrangement made by China, and the United States is in no position to make wanton remarks.

The erroneous practice of the U.S. side is unpopular and is doomed to fail, which will only lead to its further isolation from the international community, Zhao added.

Throughout history, the United States committed genocide against Native Americans, the spokesperson said, adding it is also plagued by persistent systemic discrimination against ethnic minorities.

He noted the Native American population nosedived by 95 percent from five million at the end of the 15th century to 250,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

"What is genocide? What the United States has done to the Native Americans was true genocide," Zhao said.

The United States should reckon with its historical crimes of genocide against Native Americans and take effective measures to reduce racial discrimination against ethnic minorities including Native Americans and people of African and Asian descent, Zhao said.