China urges Turkey to respect sovereignty as Beijing’s worries over Xinjiang influence grow

Name: Uygur woman describes torture in China’s Xinjiang ‘vocational training’ camps
Uploaded: 2022-01-13T09:00:19.000Z
Duration: 2 min 8 s
Description: Uygur woman describes torture in China’s Xinjiang ‘vocational training’ camps

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu that both sides should show understanding over ethnic issues

Moves to upgrade the political role of a grouping of Turkic-speaking states have prompted concern in Beijing about its influence on the Uygur population

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Uygur activists protest against China’s policies in Xinjiang. Photo: Reuters

Teddy Ng

Published: 5:00pm, 13 Jan 2022Updated: 5:15pm, 13 Jan 2022

China has told Turkey the two countries should respect each others’ sovereignty and understanding of ethnic issues – in a possible sign of Beijing’s concern about Turkish influence in Xinjiang.

In a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: “It is hoped that the two sides will firstly support each other in safeguarding their own sovereignty, security and development interests.”

02:08

Uygur woman describes torture in China’s Xinjiang ‘vocational training’ camps

The two nations should “refrain from participating in activities against each other on international occasions” and “enhance mutual understanding through bilateral channels on differences in historical and ethnic issues”, Wang said, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday.

Chinese diplomatic observers have expressed concern that an initiative from Ankara to strengthen the political role of the Organisation of Turkic States – a name adopted in November – will increase its influence among Turkic-speaking groups such as the Uygurs in Xinjiang.

Beijing has been accused of serious human rights abuses against Uygurs and other Muslim minorities, but has defended its policies as combating extremism and terrorism.

The group, which was established in 2009 as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, has its headquarters in Istanbul. Its other members are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with Turkmenistan and Hungary as observer states.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x