House Majority Whip James Clyburn, DS.C., on Tuesday declined to comment on whether China is committing genocide against ethnic Uighur Muslims in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, telling America Reports that “I’m trying to stay out of these foreign affairs matters. . “
“I did not make it a specific effort of mine here in Congress,” Clyburn told co-host Sandra Smith. “I listen to these things and usually comment when it borders on international affairs, and I will do so today.”
Earlier Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo announced that he had determined that the Beijing government had committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang.
‘I believe that this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese. [Communist] Party State, “Pompeo said in a statement.” The government authorities of the second most economically, militarily and politically powerful country on earth have made it clear that they are engaged in the forced assimilation and eventual extermination of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group. , even if at the same time they claim their country as a world leader and try to reform the international system in their image. ‘
When asked by Smith if he supports Pompeo’s statement, Clyburn replied: “I have not studied it either, you know, I do not respond to headlines. I tend to see exactly what leads to these headlines. so many problems in this country today are sound bites.people have responded to sound bites.and then we look at it [and] you see that it is not the substance. ‘
Smith tried again by noting that President-elect Joe Biden, as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, had declared China guilty of ‘heinous human rights violations’.
“How do you answer the question?” she asked.
POMPEO SHOWS CHINA’S TREATMENT OF SMELLS ‘A’ MURDER ‘
‘Now, once again I’m going to see how these international issues – Pompeo is not one of my favorite people and do something like that on the last day of office, [I] wish the transition had taken place in a normal way so that the Biden administration would be part of these kinds of issues. To do this kind of thing only on the last day at the office [is] to put people in really sensitive positions and try to make it difficult for the incoming administration. I’m just not going to touch it. ‘
“But, as far as you know, what actions China has taken, that President Xi [Jinping] did he believe you believe he is guilty of genocide because he knows what you know today? asked Smith. It is incredibly important that we also know where the incoming government stands.
“You can ask me as many times as you want,” Clyburn replied. “I’m not going to go into that. I’m going to wait to see what administration I trust, what conclusions they come up with before I get to that. I’m not going to rule on that.”
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Clyburn’s unwavering stance is at odds with the president-elect, whose campaign in August declared China’s “unspeakable repression” of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities “genocide and strongly oppose Joe Biden.”
The responses of the House Majority Whip received a sharp response from Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Who said in a statement to Fox News: “The genocide of the Chinese Communist Party must be twofold. Americans must be united against” a genocide regime. that rapes and tortures Uighurs. Human dignity is not a biased issue. “