TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (July 6) spoke with survivors and relatives of those still held in internment camps in Xinjiang and assured them the U.S. continues to press Beijing to end the "ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide" in the Chinese region.
During his meeting with seven Uyghur survivors, relatives of those held in the camps, and advocates, Blinken said Washington is committed to working with its partners to demand "an end to the People's Republic of China's ongoing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs" and other minorities in the northwest Chinese region, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
The secretary of state also expressed that the U.S. would seek to protect members of such groups who live abroad from being repatriated to China, seek justice for victims and their families, and hold the Chinese government accountable for its actions.
"The United States will continue to place human rights at the forefront of our China policy and always support the voices of activists, survivors, and family members of victims who courageously speak out against these atrocities," the statement read.
Upwards of 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim-majority minorities are believed to have been detained in Xinjiang camps.
Reports and victims' testimonials suggest a pattern of systemic abuses in the western region, including torture, rape, sterilization, and forced labor. Both the Trump and Biden White Houses have declared the situation to be a genocide.
China claims the camps are vocational training centers aimed at curbing terrorism.
