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

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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Kyodo
Kyodo
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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.

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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”.

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Japan seeks to maintain friendly ties with China as its largest trading partner without hurting relations with the US, its security ally.

Given that Tokyo’s relations with Beijing had been improving, it was preparing for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit as a state guest in spring 2020, although the planned visit was later postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has put in place a series of sanctions on Beijing for alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs, such as visa restrictions on Chinese officials, heightening bilateral tensions.

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Vice-President Mike Pence severely criticised China in a speech in Washington in July 2019, claiming that the “Communist Party imprisoned more than a million Chinese Muslims, including Uygurs, in internment camps where they endure around-the-clock brainwashing”.

Earlier this month, the European Parliament passed a resolution to condemn China’s actions in Xinjiang and to urge EU leaders to sanction the officials involved.

China has termed the Western counties’ criticisms as interference in its internal affairs.

This week, Chinese state media hit out at the BBC, saying its reports on forced labour in Xinjiang were inaccurate.
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