"Door Is Always Open": China Invites UN Rights Chief To Investigate Uighur Genocide Charge
While vehemently rejecting widespread reports from the US and Western allies as well as various Europe-based human rights groups of a systematic campaign to ethnically cleanse Uighur Muslims, China is now "welcoming" a United Nations team to come and investigate the allegations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at the start of this week via video call. Calling the allegations "slanderous attacks" he later at a news conference touted that "China has sent invitations to the high commissioner of the UN for human rights about a trip to China and Xinjiang."
“The two sides have maintained close communication on this matter,” Wang added. He had told the UN human rights session on Monday that "basic facts show that there has never been so-called genocide, forced labor or religious oppression in Xinjiang."
It follows the US formally designating it as such during the tail end of the Trump administration, something which Biden has signaled is up for review. There's long been widespread allegations of on million Uighurs forcibly detained in either labor or 'reeducation' camps under Communist authorities.
Wang said he's issued a personal invitation to UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, after the UN team has long sought access to Xinjiang, where most of the detention camps are said to be. But much like the recent WHO trip to investigate the origins of coronavirus, such an endeavor is likely only to end in further accusations of a highly 'stage managed' and choreographed max obfuscation PR exercise.
"The door to Xinjiang is always open. People from many countries who have visited Xinjiang have learned the facts and the truth on the ground. China also welcomes the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang," Wang said in reference to Bachelet.
Wang's defense before the UN body centered on "Xinjiang-related issues" ultimately being about "countering terrorism and separatism", touting further that there's been zero terror attacks in the region for almost the last half-decade. He also claimed the Uighur population has actually grown, not decreased as would be expected if there were an ongoing "genocide".
🇨🇳 China at the UN Human Rights Council: "There's no genocide, forced labor, or oppression in Xinjiang."
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) February 24, 2021
FACT-CHECK: China herded 1 million Uighur Muslims into "reeducation" & labor camps, destroyed mosques, forcibly sterilized Uighur women. pic.twitter.com/jsIj767oz0
Meanwhile on Tuesday Canada's parliament unanimously passed a non-binding motion on the heels of the prior controversial US designation, calling China's policy toward Xinjiang and its ethnic minorities "genocide". Canada is also seeking to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over the issue, something which UK's Johnson has said his country won't jump on board with (i.e.: London does not plan to boycott the Olympics). "Genocide is clearly defined in international law which cannot be pinned to China," China's embassy in Canada shot back in reaction to what it called a "disgraceful" vote.
The vote was 266-0 in favor of the motion, however PM Trudeau and his cabinet abstained - yet it's likely the further damage to trade relations is already "done" in Beijing's eyes on the mere symbolism of the vote.
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