“Uighur group rape” BBC exposure… British beats Chinese before American, why?

In 2017, in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in northwestern China, the Uyghurs began to disappear one by one.

In August of the following year, the UN Human Rights Commission raised suspicions that 1 million out of 11 million Uyghurs were confined in concentration camps and receiving’rehabilitation education’ from Chinese authorities. At the time, the Chinese government denied this. Uyghur testimony of abuse and torture in the camps came out, but the international community was unable to take any action other than criticizing China’s harsh denial.

But this time the atmosphere is different. The women who were imprisoned in Uyghur camps were exposed through the BBC about sexual assault, various tortures, and policies to annihilate Uighurs. This is right after the US Joe Biden administration, which emphasizes human rights, was launched. International human rights groups and U.S. senators have pushed China against the boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

What stands out is England. The British government, which had already had a conflict with China over the Hong Kong issue, has already suggested a possible boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics last year. “There is evidence of a terrible human rights violation,” he said. Reuters reported that it was the first time that the UK had indicated that it was unable to attend the Olympics.

On the 2nd (local time), when the BBC revealed the reality of the Uighur camp, the British Senate passed the trade law amendment with 359 votes versus 188 votes. This is a review of a trade agreement with a country that committed genocide (a crime committed to destroy a specific group). According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP), Senator Gary Grimstone said, “Although the bill does not focus solely on China, lawmakers are seriously concerned about China’s Xinjiang Uighur.” The amendment goes to the House of Representatives next week.

On the 4th, British telecommunications regulator Ofcom canceled the license for an English satellite news channel operated by China’s state-run channel CGTN. Ofcom referred to the opinions of the international human rights group Human Light Watch, saying that the channel is playing a role in the CCP’s external propaganda without its own editorial rights.

Earlier, from the 31st of last month, the UK also implemented measures to significantly expand the number of immigration literacy for overseas citizen passport holders in Hong Kong.

Britain’s full-fledged public check came out with a turn to Asia after Brexit (withdrawal from the European Union). In the context of liquidating relations with Europe, it is in close contact with the strategy to develop a sense of presence by participating in the Asian-Pacific region with great economic potential in close contact with the United States. Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun said on the 31st of last month that “the British conservatives are increasingly calling for more involvement in Asia in relation to the Hong Kong issue.”

In this situation, when President Joe Biden tried to form a common front with human rights and democracy, the British were evaluated as taking action first. The issue of Britain’s participation in the’Quad’, a multilateral security consultative body in which four countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, participated is also constantly being discussed. In May of last year, it showed an active figure in value-based solidarity by proposing a meeting of ’10 Democratic Countries (D10)’ for cooperation with China.

Kang Joon-young, head of the Center for International Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, “The joint response to the public by allies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, will gradually deepen. “Because we value alliance and multilateral approach,” he explained.

President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Johnson among the world’s top leaders immediately after winning the presidential election in November last year. After taking office, President Biden spoke with the leaders of neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico, and then the first of the European countries to speak with Prime Minister Johnson. Later, he made phone calls to allies and the Russian President, but there is no news of a normal call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China’s gaze on England cannot be smooth. In a commentary on the 1st, China’s state-run media Global Times onslaught, saying, “The UK no longer has an empire that never sets,” saying, “It is as stupid as the United States.” “The decline of the United States is not controversial and cannot help the British recover due to domestic problems,” he said. “When making a decision on China, you should think twice about whether to follow the US precedent.” did.

In this situation, the movement of the European Union (EU), which was relatively slow in the Chinese issue, is also noted. The EU agreed on a Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CAI) after 7 years of negotiations with China at the end of last year, and as a’Uighur exposure’ broke out ahead of ratification, human rights groups and civic groups in Europe are facing opposition. Similar voices are heard within the European Parliament. In December of last year, the European Parliament also passed a resolution stating that human rights issues should be considered in trade and investment relations in the EU.

Professor Han-kwon Kim of the National Academy of Foreign Affairs said, “The EU has been a reserved atmosphere for China, but since the enactment of the Hong Kong Security Act, China has been recognized as a real threat.” In addition, the next-generation technology competition issue caused by Huawei last year, and even the debate over the regime supremacy due to the Corona 19 incident has increased the room for cooperation with the United States.”

Reporter Jeong Eun-hye [email protected]