BEIJING — China’s foreign ministry is lashing out at The New York Times over its release of leaked documents portraying the inner workings of Beijing’s campaign to detain more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps.

Spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday the newspaper ignored the true reasons behind and subsequent success of what China terms a campaign to end poverty, separatism and religious extremism. He said Xinjiang hasn’t suffered a major incident in three years, about the time the internments were taking place in earnest.

Geng called article a “clumsy patchwork” based on “selected interpretation” of the documents aimed at smearing China’s efforts in Xinjiang.

He did not, however, question the validity of the documents, which detail among other things, the pivotal role played by president and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.