Explainer: Why US accused China of genocide and what's next

The US secretary of state's accusation of genocide against China touches on a hot-button human rights issue between China and the West.

In one of his final acts in office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Tuesday that China's policies against Muslims in its Xinjiang region constitute "crimes against humanity" and "genocide." Earlier the same day, British lawmakers narrowly rejected a proposal aimed at China that would have barred trade deals with any country deemed to be committing genocide.

Xinjiang, a far western region that borders central Asia, is home to the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic group. China denies human rights violations and says its actions in Xinjiang are necessary to counter a separatist and terrorist threat.

Pompeo cited forced birth control among Uighurs, which an Associated Press investigation documented last year, and forced labour, which has been linked by AP reporting to products imported to the US, including clothing, cameras and computer monitors.

"I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uyghurs by the Chinese party-state," Pompeo said in a written statement, using an alternative spelling for Uighurs.

China strongly defends its human rights record and policies in Xinjiang, saying its constitution and laws treat all citizens equally. It denies imposing coercive birth control measures or forced labour, saying those behind the allegations are lying in an effort to smear China's reputation and impede its development.

Xu Guixiang, a deputy spokesperson for the Xinjiang branch of the ruling Communist Party, told reporters last week that birth control decisions were made of the person's own free will and that "no organization or individual can interfere." Pompeo's genocide designation does not trigger any immediate repercussions, but requires the US to take it into account in formulating policy toward China.

It puts pressure on incoming President Joe Biden to maintain a tough line against China. He and members of his national security team have expressed support for such a designation in the past.

Antony Blinken, Biden's choice to be secretary of state, said Tuesday that the Trump administration was right to take a tougher stance on China, but that it had approached the matter poorly by alienating US allies and not fully standing up for human rights elsewhere.(AP) RUPRUP

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)