A new campaign to reframe perceptions of Xinjiang emphasized development and ‘ethnic unity’ to mitigate criticism over human rights abuses
When Chinese President Xi Jinping last visited Xinjiang in 2014, he went everywhere flanked by soldiers and urged officials to conduct an all-out “struggle against terrorism, infiltration and separatism,” showing “absolutely no mercy.”
“Our ethnic theories and policies are sound and effective,” Mr. Xi said last week. “We should stay committed to the correct and Chinese way to address ethnic issues.” While access to Xinjiang remains largely curtailed for foreign observers and journalists – except on government-run propaganda tours – there does seem to have been a gradual easing up in recent years. In 2021, Mr. Xi replaced Xinjiang leader Chen Quanguo, the official most associated with the crackdown, with Ma Xingrui, who has emphasized economic development alongside security.
Part of that involves recasting the region’s ethnic minorities, particularly Uyghurs – a Turkic people with a history of self-rule – as indelibly and historically Chinese, in a way experts said could indicate further forced assimilation policies to come. “Chinese civilization is the foundation of all ethnic cultures in Xinjiang,” Mr. Xi said last week. He said the country “must make full and effective use of historical facts” to prove “that various ethnic groups in Xinjiang have been important members of the big Chinese family in weal and woe.”
Mr. Millward predicted a new propaganda campaign emphasizing the “Chinese-ness” of both Xinjiang and its various ethnic groups, to counter accusations of cultural genocide and perceptions of the region as a Han colony.overseas propaganda
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