RFE
20 Jan 2021, 18:15 GMT+10
China has dismissed a declaration by the United States that Beijing is guilty of genocide against ethnic Uyghurs and other minorities saying the designation 'is a piece of wastepaper.'
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing on January 21 that allegations of abuse against Muslim minority groups in China's Xinjiang region had 'never happened in the past, [are] not happening now, and will never happen in China.'
Her comments came after U.S. outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China is committing 'genocide and crimes against humanity' against ethnic Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim indigenous people in the Xinjiang region.
'I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uyghurs" under the "direction and control" of the Chinese Communist Party, Pompeo said in the statement issued on January 19, a day before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
The UN has estimated that at least 1 million ethnic Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim indigenous people in Xinjiang have been detained in what it described as 'counterextremism centers' in the region.
The UN has also said that millions more have been forced into internment camps, though Beijing insists that the facilities are 'vocational education centers' aimed at helping people steer clear of terrorism and allowing them to be reintegrated into society.
Rights defenders also have accused China of forcing hundreds of thousands of people into labor camps under a "coercive" scheme targeting ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang -- a claim rejected by Beijing.
In an indication that U.S. policy toward Beijing's human rights record is unlikely to change with a new administration in the White House, Biden's secretary of state nominee, Antony Blinken, on January 19 said he supported Pompeo's decision.
"Forcing men, women, and children into concentration camps, trying to in effect reeducate them to be adherents to the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party. All of that speaks to an effort to commit genocide," Blinken said during his Senate confirmation hearing.
Since last year, the United States has ramped up pressure on Beijing, imposing sanctions on officials and companies for their activities in Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea.
With reporting by AP and AFP
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationPRESCOTT, Arizona: More than 1,000 firefighters and fire managers recently trained at the annual wildfire academy in Arizona. They...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A former New York City Fire Department chief has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for...
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio: Norfolk Southern wants two other companies to help pay for the $600 million settlement it agreed to after a major...
BISHOP, California: A fast-growing wildfire in California's Eastern Sierra region has burned 1,000 acres and forced people to leave...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A U.S. passenger plane getting ready to take off and a military jet coming in were told to change course to avoid...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Radio Free Asia, a key voice in press freedom across the continent for nearly three decades, is now warning it may...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Lifting the passenger cap at Dublin Airport has become a top priority for the government, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin...
TAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan's leadership was on high alert ahead of the U.S. tariff announcement, with President Lai Ching-te convening...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's auto industry shifted into higher gear in March, with a sharp jump of 18.5 percent in new car registrations...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Apple's Irish headquarters shouldered a massive 23.2 billion euro corporation tax charge last year, largely due to...
Kathmandu [Nepal], April 5 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): Indian seafood exports will face significant pressure following the imposition of the US reciprocal...