On the last full day of the Trump presidency, Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo declared that China was carrying out a genocide of Uighurs and other Muslim peoples, the most difficult condemnation of Beijing’s repression in its far western region of Xinjiang.
The announcement was welcomed by the Uighurs in exile as a long-awaited recognition of the extent of repression in Xinjiang. It has also been criticized as a move that has been delayed for too long and tainted by the Trump administration’s loss of credibility and attempts to thwart the presidential election results.
The incoming Biden administration indicated its general agreement with the designation. A spokesman for Joseph R. Biden Jr. said during the presidential campaign last year that Beijing’s policies in the region amounted to genocide.
Here’s a look at the Xinjiang region, China’s oppression there and what the genocide statement could mean for the global response.
Where is Xinjiang and why does it matter to China?
Xinjiang, in the far northwestern region of China, has a large number of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other mostly Muslim groups. It is culturally, linguistically and religiously more similar to Central Asia than the Chinese interior.
The geography is dominated by the vast Taklamakan Desert in the middle of the region, several mountain ranges and traditional oasis cities in the south. The area is rich in natural resources and has some of China’s largest oil deposits.
The Communist Party has ruled the region with a heavy hand since taking control in 1949. For many Uighurs, Xinjiang is known as East Turkestan, a name shared by two ephemeral independent republics that existed before the communist takeover.
Uighurs have long been under Chinese scrutiny over the region, which has seen an increase in ethnic Chinese migrants and an increase in restrictions on local language, culture and religion. Minority groups in Xinjiang say they are unable to get jobs or contracts due to widespread racial discrimination.
The resentment sometimes turned to violence, including attacks on police officers and civilians. In 2009, nearly 200 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed during riots in Urumqi, the regional capital.
In 2016, a new Communist Party boss, Chen Quanguo, transferred from Tibet to Xinjiang. He launched a intensified campaign of repression and placed a large number of Uighurs, Cossacks and other minority groups in re-education camps.
Under Mr. Chen has increased the use of surveillance, in the form of high-tech monitoring of facial recognition and traditional measures such as police checkpoints, in the region. China has also tried to control the growth of the Uighur population, and according to researchers, they have used repressive methods such as forced sterilizations.
A large number of children in Xinjiang have been placed in residences according to precious plans to assimilate and indoctrinate them. And the authorities carried out the widespread destruction of mosques and shrines while creating other tourist areas.
What are the camps?
Officials detained one million or more people in detention camps in Xinjiang, the country’s most comprehensive mass detention program since the Mao era. A wide range of behaviors can lead to detention, including religious devotion, travel to certain countries, violations of birth restrictions, or the installation of cell phone applications that allow encrypted messages.
Authorities first denied the mass detention. Then they recognized what they call a vocational training program, which is meant to curb terrorism, separatism and religious extremism by giving people job skills and Chinese language training. Those detained in camps describe a harsh prison environment filled with monotonous political indoctrination and, for many, terrorism from violence and physical abuse by guards.
In 2019, the Chinese authorities said they had thwarted the program and released most of those detained, an allegation that was accompanied by great skepticism by researchers and activist groups. Although there were signs that some camps were closed and some released, China also continued to expand detention facilities in the region, especially high-security prisons.
According to official data released in 2019, authorities have experienced a record-breaking increase in arrests, trials and jail time. In addition, the authorities have embarked on work programs in Xinjiang, including the transfer of workers within the region and to other parts of China, according to critics likely to be forced labor.
How did the world react?
The global response to the repression in Xinjiang has been relatively muted, an indication of China’s global influence. In recent years, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, companies and government agencies operating in Xinjiang.
The genocide statement is the sharpest reaction so far. Last year, a Canadian parliamentary subcommittee came to the same conclusion. The statement by Mr. Pompeo could lead to further fines by the United States, but these decisions will now be in the hands of the Biden government.
One test will be or the Biden government will try to persuade US allies to support efforts to confront Beijing over its repression in Xinjiang in a way that the Trump administration did not. Antony J. Blinken, the nominated candidate for foreign minister, indicated during his confirmation hearing in the Senate on Tuesday that the United States would try to gain support from other countries.
“If we work with our allies and do not degrade, it is a source of strength for us to deal with China,” he said.