Japan gave US and UK intelligence on China’s crackdown on Uygurs in Xinjiang: source

Based on the information, Washington stepped up criticism against Beijing’s alleged crackdown on Uygurs, said a source close to US-Japan ties

Britain joined the US in pressing China over its actions, but Japan has only said it ‘is closely watching the situation with concern’

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A watchtower at a high-security facility near what is believed to be a re-education in Xinjiang. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:02pm, 29 Dec 2020Updated: 1:19pm, 29 Dec 2020

Japan provided intelligence to the United States and Britain last year showing evidence of China’s forceful detainment of Muslim Uygur minority people on condition of keeping the source confidential, a person close to Japan-US relations said on Monday.

Based on the information, the US stepped up criticism against China’s alleged crackdown on Uygurs in the Xinjiang autonomous region, the source said.

The move shows Japan has already been sharing key intelligence with partners behind the scenes amid calls within the government to join the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance to better respond to increasing threats by North Korea and China.

The spy network involves the five nations of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the US.

Britain joined the US in pressing Beijing over its crackdown on the Uygurs, but Japan has only said it “is closely watching the situation with concern”.

Earlier this year in January, a US government source described Japan as almost a “sixth eye”, as the spy group sought to keep a closer eye on North Korean activities by collaborating with three partners – Japan, France and South Korea.

The source said Japan’s proximity to China and North Korea, and its capabilities of collecting relevant data through satellites and signals intelligence, made it almost a “sixth eye”.