China warns US: Criticism over Uighur not 'helpful' for trade talks

Chinese ambassador to UN, Zhang Jun has warned the US on October 29 over its push against the detention of Uighurs and other Muslims in China saying that it will not be helpful for trade talks between Beijing and Washington. The US along with 22 other countries at the United Nations pushed China on Tuesday to stop the detention. China is accused to have set up complexes in remote Xinjiang where it detains the Muslims describing it as vocational training centers. UN claims that there are at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims detained in Xinjiang. 

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Zhang Jun told reporters that it's hard to imagine that on the one hand, you are trying to seek to have a trade deal, on the other hand, you are making use of any issues, especially human rights issues, to blame the others inferring US' push against China. He said that though there was progress in trade talks, he does not feel that US actions are helpful in establishing any deal. 

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US stands for human rights: UN ambassador

The countries are about to come to an interim trade agreement for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile on November 16-17. US officials told the press that the deal may be delayed but accord will be established. Responding to the Chinese envoy's statement, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said that the US would stand for any country which violates human rights even if it is China. British UN ambassador Karen Pierce delivered a joint statement to the 193-member UN General Assembly’s human rights committee on behalf of 23 states including the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.

“We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China,” said Pierce.

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China defends the allegations

Zhang denied the accusations against Beijing and called it a gross interference in China’s internal affairs and deliberate provocation. Belarus UN Ambassador Valentin Rybakov praised Beijing’s respect and protection of rights while dealing with counterterrorism in Xinjiang and its invitation to diplomats, journalists and officials to the region. China’s state councilor and foreign minister, Wang Yi, said that he hopes trade talks can have a loose and good foreign environment. Similarly, Chinese human rights academics also defended Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. 

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