China envoy vows 'fight' over alleged Xinjiang rights abuses
An envoy from China’s Xinjiang province says Chinese authorities are ready for a “fight” with “anti-China” critics in the West and elsewhere over allegations of rights abuses in the anti-extremism campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in the region
GENEVA (AP) — An envoy from China's Xinjiang province said Thursday that Chinese authorities are ready for a “fight” with “anti-China” critics in the West and elsewhere over allegations of rights abuses in the anti-extremism campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in the region.
Xinjiang government spokesman Xu Guixiang said Chinese authorities won't be afraid if “anti-China forces” attempt to use the ongoing Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva to seek greater scrutiny of the situation in Xinjiang.
Xu has spoken repeatedly in defense of China's policies designed to fight violent extremism in Xinjiang. This week he is heading a delegation in Geneva to take the message to the rights office and diplomats at the 47-member state council, of which both China and the United States are currently members.
Some Western nations are trying to maintain international scrutiny of the rights situation through the council after the U.N. rights office issued a scathing new report last month that alleged “crimes against humanity” had taken place in Xinjiang in recent years. Such Western efforts could come through a draft resolution or other steps at the council.
