There is definitely mistreatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. That’s a fact. But the way that the US frames this discussion, the way that statistics are extremely exaggerated - that’s not factual, that is in fact very sinister and part of something much deeper.

Let’s first look at the context of this conversation about Uyghurs. It’s not a coincidence that there is suddenly so much talk about Uyghurs, right during the HK protests and right after the US passed a bill to “protect” HK (I will talk about this in a later thread).

Just as the HK protests are receiving full media attention about how they’re protesting for “freedom” against the “authoritative” China, there is also now so much attention on the “brutalities” in Xinjiang. These are calculated moves to maximize the portrayal of the “evil China.”

Other calculated moves maximizing this portrayal include extreme exaggeration of facts. Yes there is mistreatment going on, but people are way over blowing facts, some going as far as saying there are 10 mil. Uyghurs in camps when the Uyghur population in Xinjiang is 11.3 mil.

The media is also sensationalizing this problem in two ways. First by painting this as some sort of “forgotten” and “ignored” problem to heighten feelings of sadness and rage in its audience, when in reality Uyghurs are being talked about everywhere in the media.

Second is by portraying this as an “oppression of Muslims” problem when most of the Muslims in China, people of the Hui minority, are doing fine. The reason for mistreatment of Uyghurs is due to a combination of their religion, ethnicity, and Xinjiang being disputed territory.

Now let’s look at the way this problem is framed in a broader context. Since the beginning of Western interaction with China, the West has seen China as a threat. From the 20th century onwards, China has specifically been seen as the “communist, authoritarian” threat.

20th century portrayal of China is marked by deep sinophobia and yellow peril sentiment. This portrayal goes on to the present day. It’s not a coincidence that China is portrayed this way, and the US suddenly cares so much about human rights in China.

Almost every country that the US has interfered in in the name of “human rights” has been slandered by xenophobia and racist propaganda. The calculated moves discussed above is exactly this propaganda.

Additionally, every case of US intervention has shown that the US does not actually care about human rights. The US did not care about lives in Vietnam. The US did not care about lives in the Middle East. There are ALWAYS ulterior motives.

In Vietnam it was to secure the US’s position as a “democratic” global leader by containing communism. In the Middle East it is for natural resources. It should be obvious that there are ulterior motives for why the US wants to get involved with China, too.

China is rising as an economic and political global power and that scares the US. The US wants to secure its own international standing. And once again the calculated, masked racism of anti-China propaganda is both fueled by, and reinforces, this fear and hatred of China.

We have to be able to not only recognize imperialism and imperialistic intervention in history, but also when it’s happening in front of us. The reason why so many people are unable to recognize this imperialism with China is because sinophobia is DEEPLY rooted in the West.

China is not a perfect country. You can care about and stand with oppressed people in China. But understand China’s problems in a factually correct, not racist manner - and understand that you can stand with oppressed people in China without supporting US imperialism.