The World Uyghur Congress welcomes the clear condemnation of the massive human rights abuses against Uyghurs by German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Quin Gang, in Beijing today.
During her two-day trip to China, the Federal Foreign Minister also called on the Chinese government to implement the recommendations of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report (OHCHR) on the situation in Xinjiang (East Turkistan).
“We welcome the clear words of the German Foreign Minister regarding the suffering of millions of Uyghur people. Serious joint efforts are now needed by the European Union to end the horrors of the Chinese genocide against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples,” said Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur Congress in response to the Minister’s visit to China.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing together with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He has caused international confusion, especially with his statements on Taiwan. Instead of showing unity with the EU’s firm stance on China, the French President played down the security threats emanating from China.
Furthermore, Annalena Bearbock demanded that companies adhere to international human rights standards. The supply chains of German companies such as BASF, Volkswagen, and BMW are suspected to be tainted with Uyghur forced labour. The German Foreign Minister stressed out that the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which came into force this year, applies everywhere.
Overall, the Federal Foreign Minister’s visit to China was marked by the German government’s China strategy, which is currently being finalized and will be published this year. This is to set the direction for Germany’s future interaction with China.
“Perpetrators who commit the most serious human rights crimes must not be allowed to go unpunished, and this must be reflected in the federal government’s China strategy,” said WUC president.
The World Uyghur Congress calls on the international community to firmly condemn the human rights violations committed by the People’s Republic of China against Uyghurs, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
