Washington accuses Beijing of "genocide" in Xinjiang, a first conflict on the horizon for Biden

The "genocide of the Uighurs", a first conflict between the new team in Washington and Beijing is already scheduled.

GREG BAKER AFP

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2 min

In the midst of a handover of power in Washington, a first conflict is already emerging on the horizon between the new Biden administration and China after the remarks made on Wednesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accusing Beijing of being responsible for "genocide. In its Xinjiang Autonomous Region in far west China.

Charges shared by his successor and which pave the way for new sanctions.

The United States thus becomes the first country to use this term to denounce the persecution of the Uyghurs.

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Mike Pompeo and his successor Antony Blinken agree: China is committing genocide in Xinjiang.

Outgoing Secretary of State Pompeo accuses Beijing of trying to "

 systematically destroy the Uyghurs

 ".

Since at least March 2017, they have been victims of “ 

crimes against humanity 

”. 

An analysis shared by

Antony Blinken

, the future head of American diplomacy who also pleads for a firmer policy towards China.

Beijing speaks of " 

absurd lies 

".

The first conflict between the new team in Washington and Beijing is therefore already scheduled. 

Even if China denies the accusations outright, the evidence is mounting: satellite images, testimonies of victims and scientific reports point to a cultural and religious repression in Xinjiang.

More than

500,000 Uyghurs are said to

be forced to work in the cotton fields, women have been sterilized against their will, mosques destroyed.

And anyone who dares to call relatives overseas risks spending years behind barbed wire in one of the many

recovery camps

in which Beijing claims to keep Uyghurs away from religious extremism. 

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  • United States

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