The Communist Party of China is preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid crackdown on the country's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/leaked-documents-on-uighur-detention-camps-in-china-the-key-revelations-262964">Uighur Muslim minority</a>.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734#protestor-stomps-on-xi-jinpings-poster-251713">In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community</a> 
 
According to the reports, the edited and modified versions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of Communist Party as part of a project calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times.

International human rights organisations have repeatedly pushed China to grant access to investigate reports of disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dont-know-much-about-imran-khan-on-situation-of-uighurs-muslims-in-china-249715">Muslims in Xinjiang</a>.

The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an antiterrorism campaign.

The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in what China describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills.

China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Communist Party of China is preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid crackdown on the country's Uighur Muslim minority. In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community According to the reports, the edited and modified versions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of Communist Party as part of a project calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times.

The Communist Party of China is preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid crackdown on the country's Uighur Muslim minority. In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community According to the reports, the edited and modified versions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of Communist Party as part of a project calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times. International human rights organisations have repeatedly pushed China to grant access to investigate reports of disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly of Muslims in Xinjiang. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an antiterrorism campaign. The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in what China describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills. China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid repression of Uighur Muslims, China to 'edit' Quran and Bible to reflect ‘socialist values’

Athletes, executives and fans are turning sports in an era of defiance and dissent into a battleground for freedom of expression and political change, wherein national and international sports associations adhere to human rights on the spot.

Denunciations of repression in China’s troubled north-western province of Xinjiang and support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong by soccer celebrity Mesut Ozil, Houston Rockets basketball general manager Darryl Morey, and rugby superstar Sonny Bill Williams alongside soccer fans in regions like Morocco and Hong Kong, highlight the willingness of sports associations to sacrifice the values attributed to sports for commercial gain in their dealings with autocratic nations.

They also by implication puncture the fiction of a separation of sports and politics that sports associations have long employed to justify their often-close ties to government and dealings with countries irrespective of their records in upholding basic rights.

By distancing themselves from statements of Morey and Ozil, despite the latter’s ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, English Premier League club Arsenal and the US National Basketball Association (NBA) have served to highlight the discrepancy between sports associations’ declared principles and their policies.

So has China with its penalising of the NBA and Ozil for their critical statements.

The gap between professed principles and practice is, even more, yawning with the awarding of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup to China despite Chinese president Xi Jinping’s crackdown in Xinjiang and his moves to turn the People’s Republic into a 21st-century Orwellian surveillance state.

FIFA awarded the hosting rights in a consultative rather than a transparent bidding process.

In a letter to Human Rights Watch, FIFA justified its decision by insisting that the Chinese football association, as well as China, had committed “To respect human rights in their activities associated with the tournament in accordance with internationally recognised human rights standards and FIFA’s own Human Rights Policy.”

It was not clear how human rights associated with the Club World Cup could be separated from the overall crackdown in China. Nor was it clear why FIFA would help Xi take a step towards fulfilling his dream of China first qualifying for the World Cup, then winning the World Cup and ultimately hosting the tournament.

The awarding casts doubt on FIFA’s campaign against racism in stadiums given that the crackdown in Xinjiang aims to force Turkic Muslims to violate principles of their faith and adopt Xi Jinping though as superseding Islam.

The re-emergence of sports as a battleground is not limited to the plight of Xinjiang. Hong Kong fans recently took their struggle for greater democracy to a match in South Korea.

Chinese and Hong Kong broadcasters refrained from showing the playing of the national anthems when China and Hong Kong played each other earlier this month in an East Asia Football Federation (EAFF) Championship match.

Hong Kong fans booed China’s anthem, chanted “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times,” and displayed Hong Kong’s British-era flag.

Support for national teams in autocracies like Egypt and Syria has dropped with fans demanding reforms of regime-controlled football federations that are widely viewed as corrupt,

"Egypt's national team is also its national embarrassment ... Plenty of Egyptians are basking in the team's loss today," tweeted journalist Karim Zidan in July after host Egypt crashed out of the African Cup of Nations.

Privately, many fans assert that the team represents the repressive regime of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi rather than its historically huge fan base.

Sentiments in war-torn Syria are no different.

“Anyone who knows Syria well knows that in Syria there are no independent institutions, and that includes sporting institutions… Considering this (national) team as one that is above politics and a national team that unites people is a big lie and part of certain propaganda,” said Syrian journalist Hala Droubi.

In Morocco, fans, dressed in black, last year booed the national anthem during a match in the northern city of Tetouan that was being broadcast live on television in protest against the killing by the Moroccan navy of a 20-year old student as she tried to illegally cross into Spain.

It is a sentiment shared by anti-government protesters across the globe from Latin America to Asia.

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Athletes, executives and fans are turning sports in an era of defiance and dissent into a battleground for freedom of expression and political change, wherein national and international sports associations adhere to human rights on the spot.

Athletes, executives and fans are turning sports in an era of defiance and dissent into a battleground for freedom of expression and political change, wherein national and international sports associations adhere to human rights on the spot. Denunciations of repression in China’s troubled north-western province of Xinjiang and support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong by soccer celebrity Mesut Ozil, Houston Rockets basketball general manager Darryl Morey, and rugby superstar Sonny Bill Williams alongside soccer fans in regions like Morocco and Hong Kong, highlight the willingness of sports associations to sacrifice the values attributed to sports for commercial gain in their dealings with autocratic nations. They also by implication puncture the fiction of a separation of sports and politics that sports associations have long employed to justify their often-close ties to government and dealings with countries irrespective of their records in upholding basic rights. By distancing themselves from statements of Morey and Ozil, despite the latter’s ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, English Premier League club Arsenal and the US National Basketball Association (NBA) have served to highlight the discrepancy between sports associations’ declared principles and their policies. So has China with its penalising of the NBA and Ozil for their critical statements. The gap between professed principles and practice is, even more, yawning with the awarding of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup to China despite Chinese president Xi Jinping’s crackdown in Xinjiang and his moves to turn the People’s Republic into a 21st-century Orwellian surveillance state. FIFA awarded the hosting rights in a consultative rather than a transparent bidding process. In a letter to Human Rights Watch, FIFA justified its decision by insisting that the Chinese football association, as well as China, had committed “To respect human rights in their activities associated with the tournament in accordance with internationally recognised human rights standards and FIFA’s own Human Rights Policy.” It was not clear how human rights associated with the Club World Cup could be separated from the overall crackdown in China. Nor was it clear why FIFA would help Xi take a step towards fulfilling his dream of China first qualifying for the World Cup, then winning the World Cup and ultimately hosting the tournament. The awarding casts doubt on FIFA’s campaign against racism in stadiums given that the crackdown in Xinjiang aims to force Turkic Muslims to violate principles of their faith and adopt Xi Jinping though as superseding Islam. The re-emergence of sports as a battleground is not limited to the plight of Xinjiang. Hong Kong fans recently took their struggle for greater democracy to a match in South Korea. Chinese and Hong Kong broadcasters refrained from showing the playing of the national anthems when China and Hong Kong played each other earlier this month in an East Asia Football Federation (EAFF) Championship match. Hong Kong fans booed China’s anthem, chanted “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times,” and displayed Hong Kong’s British-era flag. Support for national teams in autocracies like Egypt and Syria has dropped with fans demanding reforms of regime-controlled football federations that are widely viewed as corrupt, "Egypt's national team is also its national embarrassment ... Plenty of Egyptians are basking in the team's loss today," tweeted journalist Karim Zidan in July after host Egypt crashed out of the African Cup of Nations. Privately, many fans assert that the team represents the repressive regime of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi rather than its historically huge fan base. Sentiments in war-torn Syria are no different. “Anyone who knows Syria well knows that in Syria there are no independent institutions, and that includes sporting institutions… Considering this (national) team as one that is above politics and a national team that unites people is a big lie and part of certain propaganda,” said Syrian journalist Hala Droubi. In Morocco, fans, dressed in black, last year booed the national anthem during a match in the northern city of Tetouan that was being broadcast live on television in protest against the killing by the Moroccan navy of a 20-year old student as she tried to illegally cross into Spain. It is a sentiment shared by anti-government protesters across the globe from Latin America to Asia. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Sports has emerged as battlefield for freedom of expression

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi recently tweeted to the prime minister of Pakistan to speak up against the treatment meted out to Uighur Muslims in China.&nbsp;

The former captain of Pakistan cricket team, in a tweet, had requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to speak up against China’s atrocities against the Uighur Muslims.

In his tweet, he also urges Muslim ummah to speak on the issue. "I request @ImranKhanPTI to speak up against this; talk of uniting the Muslim ummah includes our brothers &amp; sisters in China too. @CathayPak is requested to address the humane &amp; just treatment of Muslims" said Afridi.''

<img alt="Shahid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e72fb41b-ce20-4793-804e-d9e428cdd700" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/shahid.jpg" />

Later Shahid Afridi deleted his tweet.

The tweet was possibly deleted after the Chinese department of foreign affairs responded to his comment saying that Afridi was “totally misled by western propaganda against china”.

Earlier in September, the US had criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for not highlighting the plight of the Uyghurs the same way he spoke about the Kashmiris on international platforms.

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi recently tweeted to the prime minister of Pakistan to speak up against the treatment meted out to Uighur Muslims in China.

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi recently tweeted to the prime minister of Pakistan to speak up against the treatment meted out to Uighur Muslims in China. The former captain of Pakistan cricket team, in a tweet, had requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to speak up against China’s atrocities against the Uighur Muslims. In his tweet, he also urges Muslim ummah to speak on the issue. "I request @ImranKhanPTI to speak up against this; talk of uniting the Muslim ummah includes our brothers & sisters in China too. @CathayPak is requested to address the humane & just treatment of Muslims" said Afridi.'' Later Shahid Afridi deleted his tweet. The tweet was possibly deleted after the Chinese department of foreign affairs responded to his comment saying that Afridi was “totally misled by western propaganda against china”. Earlier in September, the US had criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for not highlighting the plight of the Uyghurs the same way he spoke about the Kashmiris on international platforms.

Pakistan's deafening-silence on Xinjiang continues: Shahid Afridi deletes tweet on atrocities against Uighur Muslims

Summarising The Condition Of Muslim Community In India. #Gravitas #IndianMuslims #India

Gravitas: Muslims In India: An Analysis

What Are The Muslim Countries Doing To Help Uighur Muslims In China? #Gravitas #China #Xinjiang

Gravitas: How Muslim World Overlooks The Plight Of Uighur Muslims In China

What Happens To Muslims In China. #Gravitas #China #Xinjiang

Gravitas: Video Of Uighur Muslims In Xinjiang Exposes China's Rights Violations

The fresh reports claimed that China went on an extensive crackdown post Uighur's documents leak. Watch this video to know more.

Report: 'China went on extensive crackdown post Uighur's documents leak'

The e-commerce industry in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has gained huge development in both sales and personal trainings since east China's Zhejiang Province launched its latest round of specific program to aid the region.

East China province helps Xinjiang make great e-commerce progress

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign.

Tension has flared in recent weeks between China and the United States over issues such as Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and protesters in Hong Kong, complicating prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war.

Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill requiring a tougher response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. U.N. experts and activists say China has detained possibly 1 million Uighurs in camps in Xinjiang.

China, which has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs, says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and provide vocational training.

The counter-terrorism measures in Xinjiang are no different from anti-terrorism measures in the United States, the region's governor, Shohrat Zakir, told reporters in Beijing.

The United States has chosen to turn a blind eye to Xinjiang's social stability, and is launching a smear campaign against the region and using issues there to sow discord among ethnic groups in China, he added.

Any attempt to disable Xinjiang is doomed to fail, said Zakir, who is also deputy secretary of the Xinjiang Communist Party.

Human rights groups and former detainees have said conditions in the camps are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse.

At Zakir's news conference in the Chinese capital, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang", aired on China's state broadcaster CGTN.

The Uighur bill, which was passed 407-1 in the Democratic-controlled House, requires the US president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the camps in Xinjiang.

It also calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions for the first time on a member of China's powerful politburo, Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo.

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign.

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign. Tension has flared in recent weeks between China and the United States over issues such as Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and protesters in Hong Kong, complicating prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill requiring a tougher response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. U.N. experts and activists say China has detained possibly 1 million Uighurs in camps in Xinjiang. China, which has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs, says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and provide vocational training. The counter-terrorism measures in Xinjiang are no different from anti-terrorism measures in the United States, the region's governor, Shohrat Zakir, told reporters in Beijing. The United States has chosen to turn a blind eye to Xinjiang's social stability, and is launching a smear campaign against the region and using issues there to sow discord among ethnic groups in China, he added. Any attempt to disable Xinjiang is doomed to fail, said Zakir, who is also deputy secretary of the Xinjiang Communist Party. Human rights groups and former detainees have said conditions in the camps are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse. At Zakir's news conference in the Chinese capital, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang", aired on China's state broadcaster CGTN. The Uighur bill, which was passed 407-1 in the Democratic-controlled House, requires the US president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the camps in Xinjiang. It also calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions for the first time on a member of China's powerful politburo, Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo.

US bill on China's Xinjiang violates international law, regional official says

People&nbsp;held&nbsp;in&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;China's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/for-turkey-xinjiang-visit-amounts-to-a-risky-gamble-234168">Xinjiang</a>&nbsp;region&nbsp;have&nbsp;now "graduated" and new trainees will&nbsp;have&nbsp;the freedom to come and go, the regional governor said on Monday.

Governor Shohrat Zakir also hit out at Western criticism of the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;and said the United States had launched a smear campaign against&nbsp;Xinjiang.

The United Nations and human rights groups&nbsp;estimate that between 1 million and 2 million&nbsp;people, mostly ethnic <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-world-calls-out-china-on-mass-detention-of-uighur-muslims-206630">Uighur Muslims</a>,&nbsp;have&nbsp;been detained in harsh conditions as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign.

China&nbsp;has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs&nbsp;and&nbsp;says&nbsp;the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;provide vocational training. It describes detainees as students.

"At present, the trainees who&nbsp;have&nbsp;participated have&nbsp;all graduated," Zakir told a news conference in Beijing. "With the help of the government, stable employment has been achieved and their quality of life has been improved."

Xinjiang&nbsp;will continue with training based on "independent will" and "the freedom to come and go", he said.

China&nbsp;has not provided any official figures on how many&nbsp;people&nbsp;have&nbsp;been&nbsp;held&nbsp;in the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;but Zakhir said foreign estimates were "pure fabrication". He gave no details.

He also called a measure passed by the&nbsp;US&nbsp;House of Representatives that condemned&nbsp;China's treatment of the Uighur minority a severe violation of international law and a gross interference in&nbsp;China's internal affairs.

"The&nbsp;US&nbsp;is getting restless and has launched a smear campaign against&nbsp;Xinjiang," Zakir said. "But no force can stop&nbsp;Xinjiang's progress toward stability and development."

Claims about the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;are hard to verify as&nbsp;China&nbsp;only allows periodic supervised visits and gives little information on their operations.

Watch: China slams US bill on Uighur Muslims

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-slams-us-bill-on-uighur-muslims-266287/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In July, a&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;official said most&nbsp;people&nbsp;had returned to society from the&nbsp;camps. Asked on Monday how many&nbsp;people&nbsp;had completed the training, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she could not give an exact number.

"Because the number of&nbsp;people&nbsp;participating in these training centers is dynamic, there's coming and going, so it's very difficult to give an exact number," Hua told reporters at a separate briefing.

Human rights groups&nbsp;and former detainees&nbsp;have&nbsp;said conditions in the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse.

At Zakir's news conference, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in&nbsp;Xinjiang" aired on state broadcaster CGTN last week.

Hua expressed disappointment at the lack of foreign media coverage of the documentary despite the intense concern over the&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;issue.

She said there had been no terrorist attack in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;in the past three years due to the success of the&nbsp;camps.

The&nbsp;US&nbsp;Uighur Act passed by the House of Representatives last week requires the&nbsp;US&nbsp;president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang.

It also calls on President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/saudi-arabia-policy-shift-a-rare-donald-trumps-foreign-policy-success-252387">Donald Trump</a> to impose sanctions on a member of&nbsp;China's powerful politburo,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-bill-on-chinas-xinjiang-violates-international-law-regional-official-says-267068">Xinjiang&nbsp;Communist Party </a>Secretary Chen Quanguo.

The issue, along with Washington's support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, complicates prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war between&nbsp;China&nbsp;and the United States.

People held in camps in China's Xinjiang region have now "graduated" and new trainees will have the freedom to come and go, the regional governor said on Monday.

People held in camps in China's Xinjiang region have now "graduated" and new trainees will have the freedom to come and go, the regional governor said on Monday. Governor Shohrat Zakir also hit out at Western criticism of the camps and said the United States had launched a smear campaign against Xinjiang. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign. China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs and says the camps provide vocational training. It describes detainees as students. "At present, the trainees who have participated have all graduated," Zakir told a news conference in Beijing. "With the help of the government, stable employment has been achieved and their quality of life has been improved." Xinjiang will continue with training based on "independent will" and "the freedom to come and go", he said. China has not provided any official figures on how many people have been held in the camps but Zakhir said foreign estimates were "pure fabrication". He gave no details. He also called a measure passed by the US House of Representatives that condemned China's treatment of the Uighur minority a severe violation of international law and a gross interference in China's internal affairs. "The US is getting restless and has launched a smear campaign against Xinjiang," Zakir said. "But no force can stop Xinjiang's progress toward stability and development." Claims about the camps are hard to verify as China only allows periodic supervised visits and gives little information on their operations. Watch: China slams US bill on Uighur Muslims In July, a Xinjiang official said most people had returned to society from the camps. Asked on Monday how many people had completed the training, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she could not give an exact number. "Because the number of people participating in these training centers is dynamic, there's coming and going, so it's very difficult to give an exact number," Hua told reporters at a separate briefing. Human rights groups and former detainees have said conditions in the camps are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse. At Zakir's news conference, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang" aired on state broadcaster CGTN last week. Hua expressed disappointment at the lack of foreign media coverage of the documentary despite the intense concern over the Xinjiang issue. She said there had been no terrorist attack in Xinjiang in the past three years due to the success of the camps. The US Uighur Act passed by the House of Representatives last week requires the US president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the camps in Xinjiang. It also calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on a member of China's powerful politburo, Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo. The issue, along with Washington's support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, complicates prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war between China and the United States.

China says people held in Xinjiang camps have 'graduated', condemns US bill

China warned Wednesday that a "price must be paid" after the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-macrons-criticism-of-nato-very-very-nasty-before-summit-266035"> US House of Representatives</a> passed legislation seeking sanctions against senior Chinese officials over the crackdown on mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

The<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-approves-uighur-bill-demanding-sanctions-on-senior-chinese-officials-266033"> Uighur Act of 2019</a> condemns Beijing's "gross human rights violations" in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where upwards of one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are believed to be held in re-education camps.

Watch: US House ramps up China tensions by passing Uighur bill

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-ramps-up-china-tensions-with-passing-uighur-bill-266047/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"For all wrong actions and words the proper price must be paid," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing.&nbsp;

When asked if the passing of the bill would impact on talks for a phase one trade deal between the two economic giants, Hua did not directly answer the question.

But she said there was "no way this can have no effect on China-US relations as well as the two countries' cooperation in important areas."

The foreign ministry had earlier slammed the bill, saying it "viciously attacks the Chinese government's policy of governing Xinjiang."

Without giving any more details about what measures China would take, Hua said the "price that must be paid will come eventually."

Washington had already angered Beijing when US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cool-it-france-and-germany-to-tell-trump-at-nato-talks-266086">Donald Trump</a> signed legislation supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, prompting Beijing&nbsp;earlier this week to impose sanctions on US NGOs and suspend future visits by US warships to the semi-autonomous city.

China warned Wednesday that a "price must be paid" after the US House of Representatives passed legislation seeking sanctions against senior Chinese officials over the crackdown on mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

China warned Wednesday that a "price must be paid" after the US House of Representatives passed legislation seeking sanctions against senior Chinese officials over the crackdown on mainly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang. The Uighur Act of 2019 condemns Beijing's "gross human rights violations" in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where upwards of one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are believed to be held in re-education camps. Watch: US House ramps up China tensions by passing Uighur bill "For all wrong actions and words the proper price must be paid," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing. When asked if the passing of the bill would impact on talks for a phase one trade deal between the two economic giants, Hua did not directly answer the question. But she said there was "no way this can have no effect on China-US relations as well as the two countries' cooperation in important areas." The foreign ministry had earlier slammed the bill, saying it "viciously attacks the Chinese government's policy of governing Xinjiang." Without giving any more details about what measures China would take, Hua said the "price that must be paid will come eventually." Washington had already angered Beijing when US President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, prompting Beijing earlier this week to impose sanctions on US NGOs and suspend future visits by US warships to the semi-autonomous city.

'Price must be paid,' says China after US House passes Uighur bill

Classified <a href="https://www.wionews.com/central-asia/chinese-government-accuses-four-more-regions-of-fake-pollution-compliance-172755">Chinese government</a> documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region.

The publication on Sunday of the documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) follows a New York Times report on November 16 based on a cache of secret papers revealing details of&nbsp;China's&nbsp;clamp-down on ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region.

United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang.

The ICIJ says it obtained a 2017 list of guidelines "that effectively serves as a manual for operating the&nbsp;camps", with instructions on how to prevent escapes, maintain secrecy about the&nbsp;camps' existence, indoctrinate internees and "when to let detainees see relatives or even use the toilet".

Other documents it obtained include "intelligence briefings" showing how police have been "guided by a massive data collection and analysis system that uses artificial intelligence to select entire categories of&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;residents for detention".

Foreign&nbsp;ministry spokesman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tells-united-states-to-stop-interfering-in-its-affairs-after-blacklisting-of-companies-254518">Geng Shuang</a> told a news conference on Monday that&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;affairs were an internal matter of&nbsp;China's, and that a stable and prosperous&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;was the best response to what he said amounted to slander.

The Guardian newspaper, an ICIJ affiliate, reported the Chinese embassy in London as saying "the so-called&nbsp;leaked&nbsp;documents are pure fabrication and fake news".

Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents.

The leaks come amid a rising international outcry over&nbsp;China's&nbsp;broader human rights record in&nbsp;Xinjiang. The United States has led&nbsp;more&nbsp;than 30 countries in condemning what it called a "horrific campaign of repression".

Beijing denies any mistreatment of Uighurs or others in&nbsp;Xinjiang, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism and to teach new skills.

Classified Chinese government documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention camps in Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region.

Classified Chinese government documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention camps in Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region. The publication on Sunday of the documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) follows a New York Times report on November 16 based on a cache of secret papers revealing details of China's clamp-down on ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region. United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in camps in Xinjiang. The ICIJ says it obtained a 2017 list of guidelines "that effectively serves as a manual for operating the camps", with instructions on how to prevent escapes, maintain secrecy about the camps' existence, indoctrinate internees and "when to let detainees see relatives or even use the toilet". Other documents it obtained include "intelligence briefings" showing how police have been "guided by a massive data collection and analysis system that uses artificial intelligence to select entire categories of Xinjiang residents for detention". Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news conference on Monday that Xinjiang affairs were an internal matter of China's, and that a stable and prosperous Xinjiang was the best response to what he said amounted to slander. The Guardian newspaper, an ICIJ affiliate, reported the Chinese embassy in London as saying "the so-called leaked documents are pure fabrication and fake news". Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents. The leaks come amid a rising international outcry over China's broader human rights record in Xinjiang. The United States has led more than 30 countries in condemning what it called a "horrific campaign of repression". Beijing denies any mistreatment of Uighurs or others in Xinjiang, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism and to teach new skills.

Leaked documents reveal Uighurs repressed, monitored in detention camps

NYT Report On Leaked Documents Exposes Xi Jinping's Hand In Oppressing Uighur Muslims In Xinjiang

Gravitas: The Chilling story of Uighurs in China

China on Monday vowed it would "never be soft" in its crackdown in Xinjiang, after a massive leak of government documents shed new light on the mass detention of Muslims in the far-west region.

Over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/leaked-chinese-government-documents-show-details-of-xinjiang-clampdown-report-262676">400 pages of internal papers obtained by the New York Times</a> showed that President Xi Jinping ordered officials to act with "absolutely no mercy" against separatism and extremism in Xinjiang.

The documents, leaked by an unnamed official, included unpublished speeches by Xi as well as directives on the surveillance and control of the Uighur minority, the newspaper reported on Saturday.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Monday accused the Times of "turning a blind eye to the facts" while "taking meaning out of context to publicise so-called internal documents, slander and smear counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation efforts in Xinjiang".

"China will never be soft in its fight against violent terrorists," Geng said at a regular press briefing.

Human rights groups and outside experts say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been rounded up in a network of internment camps across the fractious region.

China, after initially denying the camps existed, describes them as vocational schools aimed at dampening the allure of Islamist extremism and violence through education and job training.

Geng said that "thousands of violent terrorist incidents occurred in Xinjiang" between the 1990s and 2016, but current policies had prevented any attacks in the past three years.

"The leaked papers clearly reveal and confirm what has been going on in Xinjiang with regard to the all-out suppression and control of the non-Han peoples there (and elsewhere in China), including the massive detention and forced education camps," Fei-Ling Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, told AFP.

At the same time, Wang said the leak showed the Chinese Communist Party is "not nearly as monolithic as the Party pretends".

The Times said the papers were leaked by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that the disclosure would prevent the leadership, including Xi, from "escaping culpability" for the mass detentions.

The documents included the confession of one local official, Wang Yongzhi, who was punished for releasing more than 7,000 people from camps in Xinjiang.

Wang feared that "rounding up so many people would knowingly fan conflict and deepen resentment", the Times reported.

Geng said at his briefing Monday that "officials and members of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang fully support" the government's policies in the region.

China on Monday vowed it would "never be soft" in its crackdown in Xinjiang, after a massive leak of government documents shed new light on the mass detention of Muslims in the far-west region.

China on Monday vowed it would "never be soft" in its crackdown in Xinjiang, after a massive leak of government documents shed new light on the mass detention of Muslims in the far-west region. Over 400 pages of internal papers obtained by the New York Times showed that President Xi Jinping ordered officials to act with "absolutely no mercy" against separatism and extremism in Xinjiang. The documents, leaked by an unnamed official, included unpublished speeches by Xi as well as directives on the surveillance and control of the Uighur minority, the newspaper reported on Saturday. China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Monday accused the Times of "turning a blind eye to the facts" while "taking meaning out of context to publicise so-called internal documents, slander and smear counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation efforts in Xinjiang". "China will never be soft in its fight against violent terrorists," Geng said at a regular press briefing. Human rights groups and outside experts say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been rounded up in a network of internment camps across the fractious region. China, after initially denying the camps existed, describes them as vocational schools aimed at dampening the allure of Islamist extremism and violence through education and job training. Geng said that "thousands of violent terrorist incidents occurred in Xinjiang" between the 1990s and 2016, but current policies had prevented any attacks in the past three years. "The leaked papers clearly reveal and confirm what has been going on in Xinjiang with regard to the all-out suppression and control of the non-Han peoples there (and elsewhere in China), including the massive detention and forced education camps," Fei-Ling Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, told AFP. At the same time, Wang said the leak showed the Chinese Communist Party is "not nearly as monolithic as the Party pretends". The Times said the papers were leaked by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that the disclosure would prevent the leadership, including Xi, from "escaping culpability" for the mass detentions. The documents included the confession of one local official, Wang Yongzhi, who was punished for releasing more than 7,000 people from camps in Xinjiang. Wang feared that "rounding up so many people would knowingly fan conflict and deepen resentment", the Times reported. Geng said at his briefing Monday that "officials and members of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang fully support" the government's policies in the region.

Won't be soft in fight against 'violent terrorists': China defends Xinjiang crackdown after massive document leak

By Michael Clarke

This past weekend, The New York Times’ China correspondents, Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy, published an expose of over 400 internal Chinese government documents relating to Beijing’s mass detentions of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region of Xinjiang.

This trove of documents includes 96 internal speeches by Chinese President and Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping, as well as hundreds of speeches and directives by other CCP officials on the strategies of surveillance and control implemented in the region.

The documents confirm previous analyses by researchers on key aspects of the Chinese government’s so-called “reeducation” system for Uighurs. They also reveal new details on both the timing and rationale for the mass detentions and the extent of opposition within the CCP to this approach.

Most importantly, however, the documents confirm Xi’s high level of personal involvement in driving the campaign of repression in Xinjiang.

What the documents confirm

A number of Xi’s internal speeches confirm previous assessments of the reasons behind the implementation of the government’s mass detention and “reeducation” policies.

It’s clear from the documents that fears of potential connections between violence in Xinjiang and Islamic extremism in neighbouring Afghanistan and the battlefields of Iraq and Syria played a key role in Xi’s call for a “people’s war on terrorism”.

In one speech, for instance, Xi remarks that with the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, “terrorist organisations” would be “positioned on the frontiers of Afghanistan and Pakistan” while East Turkestan terrorists who have received real-war training in Syria and Afghanistan could at any time launch terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.

In this context, a number of high-profile terrorist attacks that have occurred in China in recent years, including a train station attack in Kunming and a bombing at a marketplace in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, appear to have confirmed such fears.

As Xi asserted during a visit to a counterterrorism police unit in Urumqi the same month as the marketplace attack, the party must “unleash” the “tools of dictatorship” and “show absolutely no mercy” in its eradication of “extremists”.

The documents also demonstrate that the CCP’s recent tendency to frame both “extremists” and religious believers more broadly through the language of biological contagion or drug addiction comes from the top.

Xi himself states that those “infected” by “extremism” would require “a period of painful, interventionary treatment”, lest they have their consciences destroyed, lose their humanity and murder without blinking an eye.

This language of paternalistic state intervention is not mere rhetoric, but concretely guides policy on the ground.

This is evident in one document prepared to assist local officials in the city of Turpan respond to queries by Uighur children of relatives sent to “reeducation” camps.

If officials are asked why those sent to the detention centres cannot return home, for example, they should answer by noting the party would be “irresponsible” to let a member of your family go home before their illness was cured.

Rather, children should be grateful to the state for the detention of their family members and should treasure this chance for free education that the party and government has provided to thoroughly eradicate erroneous thinking, and also learn Chinese and job skills.

The Turpan document also confirms the link between “reeducation” and forced labour. It notes family members undergoing “reeducation” can find a satisfying job in one of the businesses that we’ve brought in or established.

As American researcher Darren Byler has detailed, detainees are often compelled to work as low-skilled labour in factories either directly connected to re-education centres or, upon their “release”, in nearby industrial parks where Chinese companies have been incentivised to relocate.

Key revelations in the reporting

There are several major revelations associated with the documents, as well. Most significant of all, according to the Times, is the fact the documents were leaked by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that their disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions.

Beyond such a (presumably) high-placed official, the leaked documents and reporting also reveal a greater level of dissent and uncertainty within lower levels of the party than previously understood.

Internal party documents note 12,000 investigations in 2017 alone into party members in Xinjiang for “violations” in the “fight against separatism and extremism”.

The case of CCP official Wang Yongzhi, detailed by Buckley and Ramzy, is indicative here.

According to a “confession”, the local party chief in Yarkand in the far south of Xinjiang initially followed central policy directives by zealously building “two sprawling new detention facilities, including one as big as 50 basketball courts” and “doubling spending on outlays such as checkpoints and surveillance”.

However, fearing mass detentions would negatively impact on economic development goals and social cohesion - key benchmarks for achieving promotion within the party - Wang “broke the rules” and released thousands of detainees.

For this, he was removed from his post in 2017 and in an internal party report six months later was openly castigated for his “brazen defiance” of the “central leadership’s strategy for Xinjiang”.

Wang’s case demonstrates the existence of competing incentives at the local level in the implementation of centrally dictated policy.

His “brazen defiance” was not a principled stand against mass detentions but rather a pragmatic consideration of the potentially negative effects on his career should detentions undermine broader policy goals.

In this regard, it feels like a fairly typical experience of a low-level official in any authoritarian or totalitarian regime around the world.

It is this mundane quality that gives at least a kernel of hope the naked self-interest of party officials may play a part in pressuring the leadership to eventually reverse course on its Uighur detention policies.

However, given the stark and cold-blooded language revealed in the documents, this may prove to be a forlorn one. 
 
(Michael Clarke is Associate Professor, National Security College, Australian National University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/leaked-documents-on-uighur-detention-camps-in-china-an-expert-explains-the-key-revelations-127221"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Michael Clarke This past weekend, The New York Times’ China correspondents, Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy, published an expose of over 400 internal Chinese government documents relating to Beijing’s mass detentions of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region of Xinjiang.

By Michael Clarke This past weekend, The New York Times’ China correspondents, Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy, published an expose of over 400 internal Chinese government documents relating to Beijing’s mass detentions of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region of Xinjiang. This trove of documents includes 96 internal speeches by Chinese President and Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping, as well as hundreds of speeches and directives by other CCP officials on the strategies of surveillance and control implemented in the region. The documents confirm previous analyses by researchers on key aspects of the Chinese government’s so-called “reeducation” system for Uighurs. They also reveal new details on both the timing and rationale for the mass detentions and the extent of opposition within the CCP to this approach. Most importantly, however, the documents confirm Xi’s high level of personal involvement in driving the campaign of repression in Xinjiang. What the documents confirm A number of Xi’s internal speeches confirm previous assessments of the reasons behind the implementation of the government’s mass detention and “reeducation” policies. It’s clear from the documents that fears of potential connections between violence in Xinjiang and Islamic extremism in neighbouring Afghanistan and the battlefields of Iraq and Syria played a key role in Xi’s call for a “people’s war on terrorism”. In one speech, for instance, Xi remarks that with the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, “terrorist organisations” would be “positioned on the frontiers of Afghanistan and Pakistan” while East Turkestan terrorists who have received real-war training in Syria and Afghanistan could at any time launch terrorist attacks in Xinjiang. In this context, a number of high-profile terrorist attacks that have occurred in China in recent years, including a train station attack in Kunming and a bombing at a marketplace in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, appear to have confirmed such fears. As Xi asserted during a visit to a counterterrorism police unit in Urumqi the same month as the marketplace attack, the party must “unleash” the “tools of dictatorship” and “show absolutely no mercy” in its eradication of “extremists”. The documents also demonstrate that the CCP’s recent tendency to frame both “extremists” and religious believers more broadly through the language of biological contagion or drug addiction comes from the top. Xi himself states that those “infected” by “extremism” would require “a period of painful, interventionary treatment”, lest they have their consciences destroyed, lose their humanity and murder without blinking an eye. This language of paternalistic state intervention is not mere rhetoric, but concretely guides policy on the ground. This is evident in one document prepared to assist local officials in the city of Turpan respond to queries by Uighur children of relatives sent to “reeducation” camps. If officials are asked why those sent to the detention centres cannot return home, for example, they should answer by noting the party would be “irresponsible” to let a member of your family go home before their illness was cured. Rather, children should be grateful to the state for the detention of their family members and should treasure this chance for free education that the party and government has provided to thoroughly eradicate erroneous thinking, and also learn Chinese and job skills. The Turpan document also confirms the link between “reeducation” and forced labour. It notes family members undergoing “reeducation” can find a satisfying job in one of the businesses that we’ve brought in or established. As American researcher Darren Byler has detailed, detainees are often compelled to work as low-skilled labour in factories either directly connected to re-education centres or, upon their “release”, in nearby industrial parks where Chinese companies have been incentivised to relocate. Key revelations in the reporting There are several major revelations associated with the documents, as well. Most significant of all, according to the Times, is the fact the documents were leaked by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that their disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions. Beyond such a (presumably) high-placed official, the leaked documents and reporting also reveal a greater level of dissent and uncertainty within lower levels of the party than previously understood. Internal party documents note 12,000 investigations in 2017 alone into party members in Xinjiang for “violations” in the “fight against separatism and extremism”. The case of CCP official Wang Yongzhi, detailed by Buckley and Ramzy, is indicative here. According to a “confession”, the local party chief in Yarkand in the far south of Xinjiang initially followed central policy directives by zealously building “two sprawling new detention facilities, including one as big as 50 basketball courts” and “doubling spending on outlays such as checkpoints and surveillance”. However, fearing mass detentions would negatively impact on economic development goals and social cohesion - key benchmarks for achieving promotion within the party - Wang “broke the rules” and released thousands of detainees. For this, he was removed from his post in 2017 and in an internal party report six months later was openly castigated for his “brazen defiance” of the “central leadership’s strategy for Xinjiang”. Wang’s case demonstrates the existence of competing incentives at the local level in the implementation of centrally dictated policy. His “brazen defiance” was not a principled stand against mass detentions but rather a pragmatic consideration of the potentially negative effects on his career should detentions undermine broader policy goals. In this regard, it feels like a fairly typical experience of a low-level official in any authoritarian or totalitarian regime around the world. It is this mundane quality that gives at least a kernel of hope the naked self-interest of party officials may play a part in pressuring the leadership to eventually reverse course on its Uighur detention policies. However, given the stark and cold-blooded language revealed in the documents, this may prove to be a forlorn one. (Michael Clarke is Associate Professor, National Security College, Australian National University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Leaked documents on Uighur detention camps in China – the key revelations

A trove of leaked Chinese government documents reveals details of its clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country's western Xinjiang region under President Xi Jinping, the New York Times reported on Saturday. WION speaks to Dr. Halmurat Uyghur, President of Uyghuraid for more clarity on this.

China's Uighur 400+ documents leaked, leak reveals details of Xinjiang clampdown

A trove of leaked Chinese government documents reveals details of its clampdown on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-world-bank-cuts-related-to-uighur-rights-concerns-261605">Uighurs and other Muslims</a> in the country's western Xinjiang region under President Xi Jinping, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in camps in Xinjiang in a crackdown that has drawn condemnation from the United States and other countries.

The documents, which the newspaper said were leaked by "a member of the Chinese political establishment," show how Xi gave a series of internal speeches to officials during and after a 2014 visit to Xinjiang following a stabbing attack by Uighur militants at a train station that killed 31 people.

The report said Xi called for an "all-out 'struggle against terrorism, infiltration, and separatism' using the 'organs of dictatorship,' and showing 'absolutely no mercy'."

The documents show that the Chinese leadership's fears were heightened by terrorist attacks in other countries and the US&nbsp;drawdown of troops from Afghanistan.

It is unclear how the documents totalling 403 pages were gathered and selected, the newspaper said.

Beijing denies any mistreatment of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-bank-ends-funding-to-controversial-uighur-schools-in-china-261467">Uighurs or others in Xinjiang</a>, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamic extremism and separatism and teach new skills.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters on Sunday.

The documents show how officials were given talking points to explain to returning university students that their family members had been taken away for training, and how the program faced pushback from some local officials, the report said.

They also show that the internment camps expanded quickly after Chen Quanguo was appointed in August 2016 as the party boss of the region, the report said. Chen had taken a tough line to quell restiveness against Communist Party rule during his previous posting in Tibet.

A trove of leaked Chinese government documents reveals details of its clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country's western Xinjiang region under President Xi Jinping, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

A trove of leaked Chinese government documents reveals details of its clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country's western Xinjiang region under President Xi Jinping, the New York Times reported on Saturday. United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in camps in Xinjiang in a crackdown that has drawn condemnation from the United States and other countries. The documents, which the newspaper said were leaked by "a member of the Chinese political establishment," show how Xi gave a series of internal speeches to officials during and after a 2014 visit to Xinjiang following a stabbing attack by Uighur militants at a train station that killed 31 people. The report said Xi called for an "all-out 'struggle against terrorism, infiltration, and separatism' using the 'organs of dictatorship,' and showing 'absolutely no mercy'." The documents show that the Chinese leadership's fears were heightened by terrorist attacks in other countries and the US drawdown of troops from Afghanistan. It is unclear how the documents totalling 403 pages were gathered and selected, the newspaper said. Beijing denies any mistreatment of the Uighurs or others in Xinjiang, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamic extremism and separatism and teach new skills. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters on Sunday. The documents show how officials were given talking points to explain to returning university students that their family members had been taken away for training, and how the program faced pushback from some local officials, the report said. They also show that the internment camps expanded quickly after Chen Quanguo was appointed in August 2016 as the party boss of the region, the report said. Chen had taken a tough line to quell restiveness against Communist Party rule during his previous posting in Tibet.

Leaked Chinese government documents show details of Xinjiang clampdown: Report

Data from Google Earth spots 500 camps in Xinjiang.

Gravitas: China's worst kept secret: The detention camps of Xinjiang

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence.

In doing so, Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognise Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang.

Chinese officials have long sought to prevent Turkey from speaking out on the crackdown by privately arguing in discussions with their Turkish counterparts that China’s massive effort to fundamentally alter the belief system of Turkic Muslims, packaged as a fight against political violence, was no different from Turkish attitudes towards the Kurds.

Turkey has justified its decades-old policy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and its more recent interventions in Syria as a struggle against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and its Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

The PKK has waged an insurgency in south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Tens of thousands have been killed in PKK attacks and Turkish military operations.

The YPG, which has not been designated by either the US or the EU, served in recent years as the United States’ ground troops in the battle to defeat the Islamic State’s Syria-based Caliphate.

“What we hope for is that China, whether internally or externally, is an anti-terrorist nation. They are a member of the (United Nations) Security Council, so they should understand our present situation,” Onen said.

“Certainly, we know that China is a country that is fighting against terror ... We are also fighting against ... (political violence) and it’s one of the most important issues,” Onen went on to say.

Onen was responding to what amounted to a Chinese condemnation of the Turkish incursion into Syria when Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, urged “Turkey to halt military action and to return to the right track, resolving the issue with political solutions.”

China had earlier called on Turkey to “exercise restraint,” insisting that Syria’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected and upheld.”

The stakes for both Turkey and China are high.

Both are likely hoping that Russian execution of an enhanced ceasefire initially negotiated by US Vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Ankara last week will enable them to avoid a further deterioration in relations. Russia took ownership of the Syrian process during talks on Tuesday between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, home to the largest Chinese Turkic Muslim exile community, and long a supporter of political and cultural rights for Uighurs, has on occasion breached the Muslim’s world’s wall of silence about the Chinese crackdown.

If Turkey, one of the Islamic world’s most powerful nations that compete with Saudi Arabia and Iran for leadership, were to revert to sustained criticism of the Chinese crackdown, it would make it more difficult for other Muslim states to maintain their silence or, in some cases, endorsement of Chinese policy.

It would ironically align Turkey with the United States, which last week imposed sanctions in a bid to force Turkey to halt its Syrian military campaign. The US, unlike the Muslim world, has been vocal in its condemnation of the Chinese crackdown in Xinjiang.

Taking China to task on Xinjiang is risky business, certainly for a country that has seen its economy falter. Turkey has been counting on China to help it resolve its economic problems.

China, transferred in June on the eve of Turkish elections, $1 billion to Turkey as part of a Turkish lira-Chinese yuan currency swap. China, which sees Turkey as a key node in its Belt and Road initiative, has further pledged $3.6 billion in funding for energy and telecommunications infrastructure projects.

Deng Li, China’s ambassador to Turkey, warned in March that public Turkish criticism of China’s Xinjiang policy “will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations.”

Li issued his threat after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, in a rare expression of anti-Chinese sentiment used harsh language to condemn events in Xinjiang where some one million Turkic Muslims are believed to have been incarcerated in re-education camps and/or pushed into force labour.

Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Aksoy demanded that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what he termed “concentration camps.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Turkey two months later to support China’s policy in Xinjiang in a bid to “safeguard the overall situation of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.”

The strains in Turkish-Chinese relations were put on public display in July when China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted visiting Erdogan as saying that people in Xinjiang “live happily.”

Turkish officials insisted that Erdogan had expressed the hope that people in China would “live happily in peace and prosperity,” not that they were living happily.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying, clearly believing that this time around it would be Turkey rather than China that blinks first, insisted on Tuesday, “We called on Turkey many times to stop its military action. We hope all sides will form a synergy to combat terrorism, advance the political settlement process of the Syrian issue, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region.”

It’s a synergy built on sand as long as Turkey and China cloak their refusal to come to grips with minority rights in counterterrorism terms that are opportunistically called into question whenever they contradict their geopolitical ambitions. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria. Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence. In doing so, Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognise Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang. Chinese officials have long sought to prevent Turkey from speaking out on the crackdown by privately arguing in discussions with their Turkish counterparts that China’s massive effort to fundamentally alter the belief system of Turkic Muslims, packaged as a fight against political violence, was no different from Turkish attitudes towards the Kurds. Turkey has justified its decades-old policy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and its more recent interventions in Syria as a struggle against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and its Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG). The PKK has waged an insurgency in south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Tens of thousands have been killed in PKK attacks and Turkish military operations. The YPG, which has not been designated by either the US or the EU, served in recent years as the United States’ ground troops in the battle to defeat the Islamic State’s Syria-based Caliphate. “What we hope for is that China, whether internally or externally, is an anti-terrorist nation. They are a member of the (United Nations) Security Council, so they should understand our present situation,” Onen said. “Certainly, we know that China is a country that is fighting against terror ... We are also fighting against ... (political violence) and it’s one of the most important issues,” Onen went on to say. Onen was responding to what amounted to a Chinese condemnation of the Turkish incursion into Syria when Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, urged “Turkey to halt military action and to return to the right track, resolving the issue with political solutions.” China had earlier called on Turkey to “exercise restraint,” insisting that Syria’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected and upheld.” The stakes for both Turkey and China are high. Both are likely hoping that Russian execution of an enhanced ceasefire initially negotiated by US Vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Ankara last week will enable them to avoid a further deterioration in relations. Russia took ownership of the Syrian process during talks on Tuesday between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey, home to the largest Chinese Turkic Muslim exile community, and long a supporter of political and cultural rights for Uighurs, has on occasion breached the Muslim’s world’s wall of silence about the Chinese crackdown. If Turkey, one of the Islamic world’s most powerful nations that compete with Saudi Arabia and Iran for leadership, were to revert to sustained criticism of the Chinese crackdown, it would make it more difficult for other Muslim states to maintain their silence or, in some cases, endorsement of Chinese policy. It would ironically align Turkey with the United States, which last week imposed sanctions in a bid to force Turkey to halt its Syrian military campaign. The US, unlike the Muslim world, has been vocal in its condemnation of the Chinese crackdown in Xinjiang. Taking China to task on Xinjiang is risky business, certainly for a country that has seen its economy falter. Turkey has been counting on China to help it resolve its economic problems. China, transferred in June on the eve of Turkish elections, $1 billion to Turkey as part of a Turkish lira-Chinese yuan currency swap. China, which sees Turkey as a key node in its Belt and Road initiative, has further pledged $3.6 billion in funding for energy and telecommunications infrastructure projects. Deng Li, China’s ambassador to Turkey, warned in March that public Turkish criticism of China’s Xinjiang policy “will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations.” Li issued his threat after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, in a rare expression of anti-Chinese sentiment used harsh language to condemn events in Xinjiang where some one million Turkic Muslims are believed to have been incarcerated in re-education camps and/or pushed into force labour. Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Aksoy demanded that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what he termed “concentration camps.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Turkey two months later to support China’s policy in Xinjiang in a bid to “safeguard the overall situation of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.” The strains in Turkish-Chinese relations were put on public display in July when China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted visiting Erdogan as saying that people in Xinjiang “live happily.” Turkish officials insisted that Erdogan had expressed the hope that people in China would “live happily in peace and prosperity,” not that they were living happily. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying, clearly believing that this time around it would be Turkey rather than China that blinks first, insisted on Tuesday, “We called on Turkey many times to stop its military action. We hope all sides will form a synergy to combat terrorism, advance the political settlement process of the Syrian issue, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region.” It’s a synergy built on sand as long as Turkey and China cloak their refusal to come to grips with minority rights in counterterrorism terms that are opportunistically called into question whenever they contradict their geopolitical ambitions. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turkey and China tie themselves in knots over Syria and Xinjiang

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J&nbsp;Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground.

This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point.

So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.

The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights.

The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot.

It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history.

This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims.

The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.”

Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize.

"Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war.

Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?"

The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order.

China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law.

As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism.

By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand.

Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US&nbsp;foreign aid.

Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US&nbsp;deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.”

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights.

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground. This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point. So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights. The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot. It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history. This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims. The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.” Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize. "Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war. Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?" The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order. China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law. As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism. By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand. Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US foreign aid. Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump surrenders the West's moral high ground

Ahead Of Crucial Trade Talks With China, The U.S. Has Suddenly Woken Up To China's Treatment Of Uighurs In Xinjiang.

Gravitas: U.S. Wakes Up To China's Atrocities

On Tuesday, Trump administration had blocked the 28 companies yesterday as China has detained over one million in Xinjiang. So, in that matter now the U.S. imposes visa restrictions on some Chinese officials.

Chinese Embassy in Washington: Visa restrictions for some Chinese officials

The United States said Tuesday it would curb visas for Chinese officials until Beijing ends its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tells-united-states-to-stop-interfering-in-its-affairs-after-blacklisting-of-companies-254518">"repression" of Uighurs</a> and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang, a day after imposing commercial restrictions.

The one-two punch by President Donald Trump's administration marks the most forceful attempt by a foreign power to address what some rights groups call a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-talks-to-resume-thursday-white-house-254346">historic crisis in Xinjiang</a>, and comes amid a range of feuds between the United States and China.

"China has forcibly detained over one million Muslims in a brutal, systematic campaign to erase religion and culture in Xinjiang," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

"China must end its draconian surveillance and repression, release all those arbitrarily detained and cease its coercion of Chinese Muslims abroad," he said.

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Today, I am announcing visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs, or other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1181654413913534464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In an accompanying statement, Pompeo said that the State Department would restrict visas granted to government and ruling Communist Party officials involved in "detention or abuse" of Uighurs, Kazakhs or members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

The order will also affect their family members, including children who may be seeking to study in the United States.

Watch: Uighurs use Tiktok to expose China's detention camps in Xinjiang

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The State Department did not specify the names of officials who would be affected.

But lawmakers have specifically asked for action against Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party chief for Xinjiang.

Reputed within the party for his handling of minority groups, he earlier led iron-fisted policies aimed at crushing dissent in Tibet.

Defying Chinese protests

The US Commerce Department on Monday blacklisted 28 Chinese entities including video surveillance firm Hikvision and artificial intelligence companies Megvii Technology and SenseTime over their involvement in Xinjiang.

Beijing voiced its "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" over the move and denied any human rights abuses in the restive region.

"These accusations are nothing more than an excuse for the United States to deliberately interfere in China's internal affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing.

Rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other Muslims are being held in a vast network of camps in Xinjiang aimed at homogenizing the population to reflect China's majority Han culture.

Witnesses say that China has sought to force Uighurs to drop core practices of Islam such as fasting during Ramadan and abstaining from alcohol and pork.

China, after initially denying the camps, describes them as vocational schools aimed at dampening the allure of Islamist extremism and violence.

Authorities have cracked down especially hard since 2009, when nearly 200 people died in riots in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, which has seen an influx of Han Chinese.

The violence was sparked by news of a factory brawl in southern China in which two Uighur migrant workers were killed.

Pompeo has previously called China's treatment of Uighurs one of the "worst stains on the world" and likened the camps to actions by Nazi Germany.

But few Muslim leaders have spoken out against a rising China with the exception of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which has linguistic and cultural connections with the Uighurs.

Rights advocates also say that Trump has been inconsistent in exercising pressure over human rights, with the tycoon president warmly embracing authoritarian leaders of allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The actions on Xinjiang come as a trade war shows no signs of abating between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies, which have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other's goods.

At the United Nations last month, Trump also warned China that the United States was watching Hong Kong, where months of swelling protests have demanded that Beijing respect the city's semi-autonomous status.

The United States said Tuesday it would curb visas for Chinese officials until Beijing ends its "repression" of Uighurs and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang, a day after imposing commercial restrictions.

The United States said Tuesday it would curb visas for Chinese officials until Beijing ends its "repression" of Uighurs and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang, a day after imposing commercial restrictions. The one-two punch by President Donald Trump's administration marks the most forceful attempt by a foreign power to address what some rights groups call a historic crisis in Xinjiang, and comes amid a range of feuds between the United States and China. "China has forcibly detained over one million Muslims in a brutal, systematic campaign to erase religion and culture in Xinjiang," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter. "China must end its draconian surveillance and repression, release all those arbitrarily detained and cease its coercion of Chinese Muslims abroad," he said. Today, I am announcing visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs, or other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 8, 2019 × In an accompanying statement, Pompeo said that the State Department would restrict visas granted to government and ruling Communist Party officials involved in "detention or abuse" of Uighurs, Kazakhs or members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The order will also affect their family members, including children who may be seeking to study in the United States. Watch: Uighurs use Tiktok to expose China's detention camps in Xinjiang × The State Department did not specify the names of officials who would be affected. But lawmakers have specifically asked for action against Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party chief for Xinjiang. Reputed within the party for his handling of minority groups, he earlier led iron-fisted policies aimed at crushing dissent in Tibet. Defying Chinese protests The US Commerce Department on Monday blacklisted 28 Chinese entities including video surveillance firm Hikvision and artificial intelligence companies Megvii Technology and SenseTime over their involvement in Xinjiang. Beijing voiced its "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" over the move and denied any human rights abuses in the restive region. "These accusations are nothing more than an excuse for the United States to deliberately interfere in China's internal affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing. Rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other Muslims are being held in a vast network of camps in Xinjiang aimed at homogenizing the population to reflect China's majority Han culture. Witnesses say that China has sought to force Uighurs to drop core practices of Islam such as fasting during Ramadan and abstaining from alcohol and pork. China, after initially denying the camps, describes them as vocational schools aimed at dampening the allure of Islamist extremism and violence. Authorities have cracked down especially hard since 2009, when nearly 200 people died in riots in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, which has seen an influx of Han Chinese. The violence was sparked by news of a factory brawl in southern China in which two Uighur migrant workers were killed. Pompeo has previously called China's treatment of Uighurs one of the "worst stains on the world" and likened the camps to actions by Nazi Germany. But few Muslim leaders have spoken out against a rising China with the exception of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which has linguistic and cultural connections with the Uighurs. Rights advocates also say that Trump has been inconsistent in exercising pressure over human rights, with the tycoon president warmly embracing authoritarian leaders of allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The actions on Xinjiang come as a trade war shows no signs of abating between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies, which have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other's goods. At the United Nations last month, Trump also warned China that the United States was watching Hong Kong, where months of swelling protests have demanded that Beijing respect the city's semi-autonomous status.

US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials; demands end to Uighur 'repression'

Beijing on Wednesday decried a United States decision to restrict visas for Chinese officials linked to the repression of Xinjiang Muslims and called on Washington to withdraw the measure.

The visa curbs followed the blacklisting this week of 28 Chinese entities involved in rights violations against minorities in Xinjiang, which China has said was based on "groundless" claims.

Rights groups say China is holding more than one million Uighurs and other minorities in re-education camps in the western region.

The US is "disregarding the facts, slandering and smearing China on Xinjiang-related issues," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press conference Wednesday, where he said the US actions were guided by "sinister intentions."

Geng called the US move "completely futile" and warned China would take "firm" action against violations of its sovereignty.

He also said China's commerce ministry would "soon" release its own entity list, which has been in the works for months.

Beijing on Wednesday decried a United States decision to restrict visas for Chinese officials linked to the repression of Xinjiang Muslims and called on Washington to withdraw the measure.

Beijing on Wednesday decried a United States decision to restrict visas for Chinese officials linked to the repression of Xinjiang Muslims and called on Washington to withdraw the measure. The visa curbs followed the blacklisting this week of 28 Chinese entities involved in rights violations against minorities in Xinjiang, which China has said was based on "groundless" claims. Rights groups say China is holding more than one million Uighurs and other minorities in re-education camps in the western region. The US is "disregarding the facts, slandering and smearing China on Xinjiang-related issues," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press conference Wednesday, where he said the US actions were guided by "sinister intentions." Geng called the US move "completely futile" and warned China would take "firm" action against violations of its sovereignty. He also said China's commerce ministry would "soon" release its own entity list, which has been in the works for months.

China slams 'sinister intentions' of US visa curbs on Xinjiang

The U.S. blacklisted 28 Chinese organisations which were involved in abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang province. 8 Chinese tech companies put on the so-called entity list.

U.S. blacklisted 28 Chinese organisations, involved in abuses against Uighurs

The US Commerce Department announced Monday it is <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-aim-to-persuade-others-to-call-out-china-over-uighurs-at-un-mike-pompeo-248164">blacklisting 28 Chinese entities</a> that it says are implicated in rights violations and abuses<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dont-know-much-about-imran-khan-on-situation-of-uighurs-muslims-in-china-249715"> targeting Uighurs</a> and other mostly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community</a>

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the move, which bars the named entities from purchasing US products, saying the United States "cannot and will not tolerate the brutal suppression of ethnic minorities within China." 
 
Watch: Uighurs use Tiktok to expose China's detention camps in Xinjiang

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-gravitas-uighurs-use-tiktok-to-expose-chinas-detention-camps-in-xinjiang-244906/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to an update to the US Federal Register set to be published Wednesday, the blacklisted firms included video surveillance company Hikvision, as well as artificial intelligence companies Megvii Technology and SenseTime.

Rights groups say China has detained around one million Uighurs and other Muslims in re-education camps in the western Xinjiang region in a step Washington says is reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

China had until recently denied the camps existed but now claims they are "vocational training schools" necessary to control terrorism while decrying interference in its "internal affairs."

The US move came after Washington banned technology giant Huawei and other Chinese firms from government contracts, amid the trade war between the two countries.

The US Commerce Department announced Monday it is blacklisting 28 Chinese entities that it says are implicated in rights violations and abuses targeting Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.

The US Commerce Department announced Monday it is blacklisting 28 Chinese entities that it says are implicated in rights violations and abuses targeting Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. In pictures: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the move, which bars the named entities from purchasing US products, saying the United States "cannot and will not tolerate the brutal suppression of ethnic minorities within China." Watch: Uighurs use Tiktok to expose China's detention camps in Xinjiang According to an update to the US Federal Register set to be published Wednesday, the blacklisted firms included video surveillance company Hikvision, as well as artificial intelligence companies Megvii Technology and SenseTime. Rights groups say China has detained around one million Uighurs and other Muslims in re-education camps in the western Xinjiang region in a step Washington says is reminiscent of Nazi Germany. China had until recently denied the camps existed but now claims they are "vocational training schools" necessary to control terrorism while decrying interference in its "internal affairs." The US move came after Washington banned technology giant Huawei and other Chinese firms from government contracts, amid the trade war between the two countries.

US puts 28 Chinese organisations on economic blacklist over Beijing’s brutal crackdown on Uighur Muslim minority

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi revealed the truth about northwest <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region</a> on Tuesday, refuting rumours made by anti-China forces about the situation in the remote Chinese region.

Addressing a dinner co-hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations, US-China Business Council, US Chamber of Commerce and Council on Foreign Relations on in New York City, Wang said that what happens in Xinjiang is purely China's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/human-rights-watch-report-on-uighurs-full-of-prejudice-says-china-164872">internal affair</a>, which, however, has been deliberately discredited and attacked by some anti-China forces in the world.

Wang said the Chinese government values the protection of religious freedom in Xinjiang.

He said the number of religious sites has grown tenfold in the last five decades. Now, an average of 530 Muslims in Xinjiang have a mosque, which is higher than that in many Islamic countries, he noted.

Wang said the major tasks of fighting terrorism and violence have been largely successful, adding Xinjiang has not seen any terrorist attack in three years.

"Rumors find no market among the fair-minded and are pale in face of facts. What the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has done is for the sake of the happiness of the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. It also makes a greater contribution to the international counter-terrorism cause. So we are open and aboveboard about this," said Wang.

The Chinese foreign minister said that over 1,000 foreign diplomats, scholars and media representatives have visited the region and that they agree some reports from Western media are misleading. He pointed out that 50 countries have jointly submitted a notice not long ago in support of China to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-aim-to-persuade-others-to-call-out-china-over-uighurs-at-un-mike-pompeo-248164">UN Human Rights Council</a>.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi revealed the truth about northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Tuesday, refuting rumours made by anti-China forces about the situation in the remote Chinese region.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi revealed the truth about northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Tuesday, refuting rumours made by anti-China forces about the situation in the remote Chinese region. Addressing a dinner co-hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations, US-China Business Council, US Chamber of Commerce and Council on Foreign Relations on in New York City, Wang said that what happens in Xinjiang is purely China's internal affair, which, however, has been deliberately discredited and attacked by some anti-China forces in the world. Wang said the Chinese government values the protection of religious freedom in Xinjiang. He said the number of religious sites has grown tenfold in the last five decades. Now, an average of 530 Muslims in Xinjiang have a mosque, which is higher than that in many Islamic countries, he noted. Wang said the major tasks of fighting terrorism and violence have been largely successful, adding Xinjiang has not seen any terrorist attack in three years. "Rumors find no market among the fair-minded and are pale in face of facts. What the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has done is for the sake of the happiness of the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. It also makes a greater contribution to the international counter-terrorism cause. So we are open and aboveboard about this," said Wang. The Chinese foreign minister said that over 1,000 foreign diplomats, scholars and media representatives have visited the region and that they agree some reports from Western media are misleading. He pointed out that 50 countries have jointly submitted a notice not long ago in support of China to the UN Human Rights Council.

What happens in Xinjiang is purely Beijing's internal matter: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - July 29th, 2019

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - July 28th, 2019

Ambassadors from 50 countries to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) have co-signed a letter to the President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to voice their support for China's position on issues related to its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Earlier on July 12, a number of ambassadors in Geneva sent the joint letter to show their support for China, and as of Friday evening, more ambassadors had joined, Chen Xu, the permanent representative of China to United Nations' Geneva Office, revealed. In the joint letter, the ambassadors commend China for its economic and social progress, effective counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, and the strong guarantee of human rights.

Ambassadors from 50 countries support China's position on issues related to Xinjiang

Ambassadors of 50 countries have written a letter to the UN Human Rights Council Chief backing China's action in Xinjiang. Watch this video to know more.

50 countries back China on Xinjiang

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