Genocide claims tossed in China’s spin cycle
The China Letter: March 8, 2021
The biggest China stories of 2021 are now taking shape: continued denial around the mistreatment of Uighur Muslims, the ramifications of democracy being withdrawn in Hong Kong, and whether the rest of the world can deal with President Xi. All that and the continued effects of COVID-19 in a newsletter that’s easy to share with others:
The absurdity of denial
“The so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is ridiculously absurd,” said Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during his annual news conference. “It is a rumour with ulterior motives and a complete lie.” But these comments regarding China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims followed the revelation of a study that further exposes the actual policy:
BBC News exposed a video that shows ethnic minorities coerced to move away from home, to shift young people away from the Islamic faith and into a lifestyle consistent with Communist party goals. The policies have led most Canadians to define this as a genocide, at the same time newspapers are running full-page ads for tourism in Xinjiang.
Shine is off Hong Kong
Hong Kong spent 25 straight years atop the Heritage Foundation ranking of the world’s freest economies, until it was dethroned by Singapore in 2020—and in 2021 it’s nowhere to be found on the list. The absence reflects the end of the road for the democratic dream in the region, with increased indications that Beijing won’t be backing down from its agenda:
Joe Biden’s administration is now being tested as to whether it can pull together an international front to oppose China’s overhaul of the electoral system in Hong Kong. The arrest of 47 pro-democracy activists under the new security law was followed by 15 granted bail, but all remain detained due to justice department appeal.
Enthusiast turns skeptic
Twenty-five years after he first set foot in China, culminating in the book Superpower Interrupted, journalist Michael Schuman explains why he now feels betrayed due to the leadership style of Xi Jinping. Schuman writes about how the reforms that helped the country grow and develop turned inward—and even facilitated the piracy of his book.
Behind a rearview mirror
China’s continued use of anal swabs to test for COVID-19 are bewildering experts unclear about reasons why: Japan made a request to exempt its citizens from the tests, which were also given to U.S. diplomats. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s planned interim report on the pandemic origins in Wuhan will reportedly be scrapped.
The last words, for now
A visitor to the Xiangwushan Zoo said “Woof! Are you a wolf?” to an animal that looked like a Rottweiler, which was lying on its side in a cage. The footage circulating on social media drew attention to the fact that the zookeepers of Xianning, Hubei province, filled the cage presented as belonging to such a wild beast with the obvious dog:
The China Letter is produced by the Canadian Freedom Institute, a think tank based in Canada. We produce the China Letter every week to keep you informed and to press the ideas of free markets and free people not only in China but around the world. Please consider donating to keep this newsletter running!