The July 5 riot in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is an internal affair of China, the Yemeni ambassador to China said on Wednesday.

Yemen supports China's efforts to defend its national sovereignty, to safeguard its social stability, and the people's security and property, Abdulmalek Mualemi said in a written interview with Xinhua.

The riot in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, left 197 people dead and more than 1,680 injured.

Mualemi said the incident was a grave crime which involved beatings, looting and burning that sabotaged harmonious relations among the various ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region.

"Considering the grave loss of lives and property caused by the violence, we believe the incident did not happen spontaneously as some people have claimed, instead, it was premeditated and organized," he said.

He said the incident was by no means a religious issue, as what the "East Turkistan" separatists had done far beyond Islamic tenets.

Mualemi, who described China as his second homeland, said as the Yemeni ambassador to China, he has carried out an extensive and in-depth study of the country.

China has made great efforts in promoting economic growth, culture and education, and improving people's living standards since it adopted the policy of reform and opening-up (in 1978), he said.

"The country has also adopted various measures to promote economic growth and social development in ethnic minority regions in a bid to realize common prosperity for all Chinese people.

"While visiting some ethnic minority regions in China, I witnessed the economic growth and sensed the harmonious social atmosphere," Mualemi said.

He said he not only saw the remarkable socioeconomic progress these regions had achieved, but also the tremendous efforts made by the local governments to protect the religions and cultures of the ethnic minorities.

Mualemi said he had still to visit Xinjiang, but had heard a lot about it.

"I've heard that in Xinjiang, people of different religions and ethnic groups live in peace and harmony with each other. The region boasts many unique tourism resources, such as snowy mountains, grasslands, oases and the Heavenly Lake. I hope I will be able to visit the place soon," he said.

As for the relations between China and Arab countries, Mualemi said Arab countries and people have forged a profound and solid friendship with the Chinese people