Nationalism is a core tenet of the Chinese Communist Party, which is responsible for a series of human rights violations in China. Much of China’s rise in the global order over the past several decades can be attributed to the idea that it is time for China to regain its glory.China’s continued development has sent a clear message to the world — that it will no longer succumb to Western influence. This intrinsic determination has resulted in unprecedented economic growth and a commitment to addressing climate change. However, these feats, like many in history, have come with a price. The government’s nationalistic vision has led to the genocide of the Uyghurs,an ethnic minority native to Xinjiang, and religious persecution in Tibet.The United States has been a bystander in both affairs for too long, afraid to unhinge its relationship with China. This behavior from a nation as powerful as the United States is unjustifiable.
Xinjiang occupies the northwest corner of China.The Uyghurs inhabited this region long before it was part of China.Throughout the past decade, the Chinese Communist Party has imposed restrictions on Uyghurs on the basis that they are an ethnic and religious minority; their language, religions and customs are different from those of the ethnic Han majority. The Chinese government has created labor camps and reeducation facilities where Uyghurs work without pay and are taught to speak Mandarin.Additionally, Uyghurs are not allowed to wear traditional face coverings or pray, and women have been subjected to forced sterilization. This systematic attack on the Uyghurs threatens their survival as a people.
In an attempt to draw China’s support for the War on Terror at the beginning of the 21st century, the United States labelled a Uyghur organization as a terrorist group without having any evidence of terrorist actions.Several Uyghurs, all of whom were Muslims, were held in Guantanamo Bay. Some of them were not released until 2013.Although the Trump administration denounced the Chinese Communist Party’s oppression of the Uyghurs, no substantial actions have been taken thus far to support these denouncements. We can only hope that the Biden administration will end the United States’ complicity.
China’s autonomous region, Tibet, is another area where China is committing grave civil rights abuses. According to Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch, “What we’ve watched over the last 20, 25, 30 years is the Chinese government quite steadily encroaching on religious freedom in Tibet … in managing religion, in revising texts, in controlling who can or can’t become a monk or a nun, in controlling how services can be held.”The Chinese government claimed that it would bring economic development to Tibet; however, in order to develop, the government forced Tibetans off their lands.The government expelled Buddhist monks and set up “reeducation camps” to compel traditional Tibetans’ conformity to the cultural practices the Chinese Communist Party enforces.
As a champion of democracy, the United States must intervene to stop this blatant abuse of human rights. According to Human Rights Watch, “A number of governments and parliaments,”including the U.S. Congress and European Parliament, “... issued resolutions and considered legislation on issues including Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang, yet few governments were willing to impose tougher responses, such as sanctions or export controls, to press Beijing to change its policies.” The United States is the only government that truly has enough power to make a difference in China’s policies. So why hasn’t any major change been made?
Many claim that the U.S. is not making any moves because it doesn’t want to ruin its already unstable relationship with China. The United States doesn’t want to be involved directly with China’s domestic affairs. However, it seems that this is a two-way street. China is not only committing abuses on its own soil, but as a nationalistic plea, it is also trying to restrict freedoms of Chinese people abroad. This is where the U.S. must inevitably get involved, despite an already fragile bilateral relationship.
As written in the World Report 2020: Events of 2019, “The US repeatedly rhetorically condemned China’s human rights violations, yet these comments were weakened by President Trump’s complimentary commentary of President Xi.” With the new Biden administration, we are hopeful that the U.S. will take initiative to address these abuses in China.
Please join us in attending the EPIIC International Symposium from March 18–20. “The Rule of Law: Chinese Nationalism and Human Rights” discussion will take place at 9 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 20.
