Ondřej, Klimeš, “China’s Xinjiang work in Turkey,” Sinopsis, 8 November, 2019.
Summary
Klimeš focuses on the Uighur diaspora in Turkey and how the Chinese state’s reach extends well beyond its border in the effort to control Xinjiang.
Abstract
“The mass incarceration, political reeducation, and intensified repression of Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region since 2016 has been one of the most controversial developments in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under Xi Jinping’s leadership. Triggering critical scrutiny by media, academics, rights groups, governments, and international organizations, the crackdown has damaged China’s national image and turned the Xinjiang crisis into a major point of friction with the democratic world. Important confrontations are being played out in Turkey, home to a sizeable Uyghur diaspora that is a source of both information about and political campaigning against Beijing’s endeavors in Xinjiang. This working paper outlines some of the PRC’s tactics to incapacitate Uyghurs in Turkey and to mitigate the negative impact of its Xinjiang policy on its international relations.”
Keywords: Diaspora, Biopolitics, Turko-Chinese relations, Propaganda.