US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday called China's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority the "stain of the century" and accused Beijing of pressuring countries not to attend a US-hosted conference on religious freedom.

Key points: Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking minority in China's far north-west

Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking minority in China's far north-west China has been accused of committing cultural genocide against the population

China has been accused of committing cultural genocide against the population Over a dozen countries have called on China to end Uyghur persecution

"China is home to one of the worst human rights crises of our time; it is truly the stain of the century," Mr Pompeo told the final day of the international conference in Washington.

He said Chinese government officials had sought to discourage countries from attending the three-day event he has hosted.

"Is that consistent with the guarantee of religious belief that is found directly in the Chinese constitution?" he asked.

Mr Pompeo, who said this week that more than 100 foreign delegations had been invited to the conference, congratulated countries which had defied Chinese pressure, while adding:

"If you have declined to attend for the same reason, we take note."

Mr Pompeo did not name any of the countries and a State Department spokesman could not provide a figure.

"We know the Chinese government called countries specifically to discourage participation. We cannot prove the exact number they successfully impacted," he said.

Mr Pompeo's remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump met at the White House with victims of religious persecution from countries including China, Turkey, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar.

'This so-called persecution does not exist': China

Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking minority who came under Chinese Communist rule in 1949. ( Reuters: Thomas Peter )

The Chinese government on Thursday rejected any suggestion that it abuses religious and human rights.

"In China this situation of so-called religious persecution does not exist," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a news briefing in Beijing after the White House ceremony.

"We demand that the United States correctly view China's religious policies and the status of religious freedom in China, and stop using the issue of religion to interfere in other countries' affairs."

US Vice President Mike Pence, who like Mr Pompeo has been a strong critic of China, told the same conference the ongoing US trade talks with China would not sway the commitment to freedom of religion.

"Whatever comes of our negotiations with Beijing, you can be assured that the American people will stand in solidarity with people of all faith in the People's Republic of China," he said.

"We will pray for the day that they can live out their faith freely without fear of persecution."

Nearly two dozen nations including Australia at the UN Human Rights Council this month urged China to halt persecution of ethnic Uyghurs in its western region of Xinjiang, where UN experts and activists say at least 1 million are held in detention centres.

China engaged in cultural genocide against Uyghurs

China has used surveillance technology to track and detain ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs. ( ABC News )

An ABC Four Corners investigation revealed this week China's widespread attempts at cultural genocide against Uyghurs, separating families, and restricting their ability to practise traditional culture and religion.

It also found that some Uyghurs in detention camps have been placed into forced labour factories that may have supplied products for major global and local brands.

Since the ABC's report, Cotton On and Target Australia have launched enquiries into their production lines.

In addition, UTS and Curtin universities are investigating their research links to Chinese firms involved in creating the vast surveillance technology infrastructure that is used to monitor Uyghurs and other minorities.

The Trump administration has been weighing sanctions against Chinese officials over their policies in Xinjiang, including the Communist Party chief of the region, Chen Quanguo, but has held back amid Chinese threats of retaliation.

Relations between the United States and China are already tense over a tit-for-tat trade war, with the United States alleging that China engages in unfair trading practices.

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ABC/Reuters