China keeps denying what it does to Uyghurs

The China Letter: September 6, 2022

This week in our news roundup we’ve got the reaction to a report from the United Nations, a dark sign that COVID-19 surveillance systems aren’t leaving, citizens thinking President Xi should be more internationally aggressive, the latest rumblings around Taiwan, and America’s addiction to faster fashion.

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A condemnation continues

UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights

UN Human Rights Office issues assessment of human rights concerns in #China’s #Xinjiang #Uyghur Autonomous Region. Read more: ow.ly/G4y250Kxj0X

Serious human rights violations are alleged by the United Nations in a report that China urged against releasing and then responded to with a denial that anything was amiss in its treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Those who are now living in exile consider the UN conclusion to be a long-awaited vindication of their plight.

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New level of COVID chaos

BBC News (World) @BBCWorld

Outcry as Chinese lockdown traps residents during earthquake

bbc.inOutcry as Chinese lockdown traps residents during earthquakeSome say they tried to flee during an earthquake but found their gates locked due to Covid restrictions.

Chengdu is a city of 21 million people, most of whom were instructed to quarantine as part of China’s zero-COVID policy, with residents of buildings with even a single detected case not allowed outside. This situation was complicated by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake striking the area, which has triggered landslides and resulted in at least 46 deaths.

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The polling about bullying

Morning Consult @MorningConsult

Does the United States bully China? 54% of Chinese adults say the United States bullies China to forestall its rise. morningconsult.biz/3QMf8Pz

Xi Jinping likely emerging with more power upon entering his third presidential term is accompanied by 58% out of 1,000 constituents saying that China is being bullied on the international stage—and should stand up for itself more. (The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is scheduled to be convened in Beijing on October 16.)

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Taiwan tensions intensify

The Associated Press @AP

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted Taiwan’s weaknesses in its reserves and civilian defense force as China looms as a threat.

apne.wsMilitary reserves, civil defense worry Taiwan as China loomsTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chris Chen, a former captain in Taiwan’s military, spent a lot of time waiting during his weeklong training for reservists in June. Waiting for assembly, waiting for lunch, waiting for training, he said.

China’s military actions upon Nancy Pelosi’s visit further motivated Taiwan to prepare to mobilize its two-million-member reserve system, in order to back up a 188,000-member military. Near-daily incursions across the halfway point in the Taiwan Strait have increased nervousness about a full invasion.

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Retail invasion succeeds

The New York Times @nytimes

Shein recently surpassed Amazon as the most downloaded shopping app in the U.S., according to one analysis. Yet as it's grown, so have questions about its practices.

nyti.msThe People’s Republic of SheinShein continues its rise with American shoppers, who don’t mind the controversies.

A pop-up store in Plano, Texas, sets the scene for this feature story about Shein, the Chinese fast-fashion giant whose origins are a mystery to most of the young American women who made it a more popular shopping app than Amazon. Questions about its labour practices and chemicals in clothing meet with denials.