[Current Affairs] January 22, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for Entry Test Preparation

2. US declares China’s treatment of Uighurs “genocide” 

What’s going on? During their final days in office, the administration of former Republican President, Donald Trump, left a doozy of a message for China. The State Department accused China of committing “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” through its oppression of Uighur Muslims, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. Former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, accused Chinese officials of engaging in the “forced assimilation and eventual erasure of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group.” Pompeo also said, “I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state.”

The details: In return, China imposed sanctions on Pompeo and more than a dozen Trump administration officials for interfering in China’s internal affairs, disrupting US-China relations, offending the Chinese people, and hurting China’s interests. The Chinese govt called the latest “genocide” declaration a “lie,” and said it’s only trying to fight “terrorism and extremism.”

Tell me more: Last year, Democratic President Joe Biden’s campaign team also said China’s actions amounted to “genocide.” Biden’s new nominee for secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, agrees with the genocide declaration.

The context: Chinese officials have allegedly carried out forced sterilizations and family separations to suppress Uighurs. According to media reports, China has detained hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and placed them in forced labor camps.

Looking ahead: During a virtual event yesterday, Pakistan’s national security advisor and special assistant to the prime minister (PM), Moeed Yusuf, appeared to deflect a question on the Uighur subject. He immediately brought up India’s alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and said, ‘if we’re going to talk about human rights, let’s support the cause of human rights across the board.’ He then said Pakistan and China have a “special relationship,” where there is “total transparency,” and every conversation they want to have, even if there’s an issue, happens “in confidence.” In other words, China and Pakistan “have channels to discuss everything,” and “resolve issues” even if whatever they’re talking about isn’t made public.

The bottom line: While PM Imran Khan is trying to be a champion for Muslims around the world, there’s still no clear answer on how Pakistan feels about reported human rights abuses against Muslim minorities in China. Since Pakistan and China have the ultimate bromance, it sounds like Pakistan is choosing to keep its views (if any) private. China has come to Pakistan’s financial “rescue” in the past via loans. Don’t forget China’s $60 billion infrastructure investment in Pakistan for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Plus, as we mentioned above, China is even gifting Pakistan COVID-19 vaccines.