China denies confiscating copies of Quran in Xinjiang

Beijing: China on Thursday termed as "groundless" a report that authorities were asking people in the restive Xinjiang region to hand in religious items including copies of the Quran and prayer rugs.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said people in Xinjiang were working and living in peace.

"We hope that relevant parties should refrain from making groundless accusations and rumours," Lu said.

Xinjiang, a Muslim-dominated restive province in China, is located in the northwest of the country.

Beijing is always wary of Uygur Muslims, who it suspects of spreading unrest and separatist activities. The ethnic minority resents Han Chinese.

China has reportedly taken repressive measures like banning Islamic names and banning Islamic festivals among others.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor begins from Kashgar in Xinjiang.