In an hour-long meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for a “transparent investigation” into shocking reports of gross human rights violations in Xinjiang.
Die Bilder aus #Xinjiang verstören. Sie untermauern, was schon lange im Raum stand: dass in Xinjiang schlimmste Menschenrechtsverletzungen begangen werden. Im Gespräch mit meinem chinesischen Kollegen Wang Yi habe ich Aufklärung gefordert.
— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) May 24, 2022
Baerbock said, “Human rights are a fundamental part of the international order and Germany is committed to protecting them worldwide.”
Apart from China’s human rights violation, Baerbock also discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, international cooperation, and climate change.
Baerbock highlighted the importance of “international cooperation” based on “international order” and called on all members of the international community to condemn Russia’s “illegal war” against Ukraine and uphold international law and the United Nations charter.
In addition, both leaders discussed climate change and vowed to fight together to keep the global temperatures at 1.5 degrees. “Germany is prepared to step up its cooperation with China in this area,” mentioned the German press release.
In view of the many global challenges international cooperation is important. But it must be based on the respect for human rights & the fundamental norms of the international order. We all have a shared responsibility to uphold international law & to protect the UN Charter.(2/3)
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) May 24, 2022
Meanwhile, according to the Chinese press release, Wang Yi noted the “healthy and stable development” of relations, which serves the interest of both sides and is conducive to maintaining “world peace, stability, and development.”
“The two sides should make good use of the government consultation mechanism, make good preparations for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, promote high-level dialogues on strategy, security, finance and people-to-people and cultural engagement, and strengthen friendly exchanges,” it stated.
In addition, Wang Yi touched on bilateral economic ties and said healthy competition should exist to accelerate development, a reference to the German Vice-Chancellor saying that Germany is looking to reduce its economic dependence on China.
On May 24, State Councilor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the latter's request. 🇨🇳🇩🇪
— Chinese Embassy in Switzerland (@ChinaEmbinCH) May 25, 2022
- To inject more stability into world
- Pragmatic cooperationhttps://t.co/a1m6xBexBC pic.twitter.com/56xbGuJQaD
The meeting between Baerbock and Wang comes against the backdrop of several media outlets publishing leaked documents called the “Xinjiang Police Files,” which reveal mass incarceration in the western Xinjiang province, including photographs of detained Uyghurs.
In fact, the release overlaps with a six-day visit to China by United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, during which she will also visit Xinjiang. However, her visit will be conducted in a “closed loop,” meaning that she will not be allowed to meet anyone whom China has not already pre-verified.
Bachelet met with Foreign Minister Wang on Monday and with President Xi Jinping today. A press release issued by China’s foreign ministry made no mention of Xinjiang or the Uyghurs. However, it stressed, “The human rights of the Chinese people are guaranteed like never before.”
Similarly, Wang said on Monday that China would use Bachelet’s trip to “help enhance understanding and cooperation, and clarify misinformation.”
Powerful reporting on 5,000 photos of #Uyghurs hacked from Chinese police files and handed over to BBC. The photos give insights on the terrible plight of #Uyghurs held in detention camps in Xinjiang.
— Amy Chew (@1AmyChew) May 24, 2022
https://t.co/DEJUHuqkjS via @BBCNews
Intelligence reports suggest that over one million Uyghur Muslims and other Muslim minorities are detained in over 85 camps across the Xinjiang region. Beijing has been accused of numerous crimes against ethnic and religious minorities, including setting up a mass detention and surveillance system and subjecting Muslims to forced labour, birth control, sterilisation, and marriages, as well as torture.
The meeting between Baerbock and Wang also comes on the heels of the German Chancellor’s virtual meeting with Xi on May 9. According to the Chinese press release, both sides vowed to maintain “sound and steady growth of bilateral ties” and “close communications and exchanges” at all levels.
Regarding Ukraine, Xi reaffirmed that China stands by peace and highlighted efforts undertaken to “promote peace and diffuse tensions.” “China supports Europe in playing a positive role in promoting peace talks and in the eventual establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture,” he said.
That being said, last month, Scholz skipped visiting China during his first Asia trip, noting that he is seeking closer ties with Indo-Pacific countries that share “democratic values.”
While Scholz was in Japan, Germany’s lower house of parliament overwhelmingly passed a petition to increase support for Ukraine that includes a clause that calls on the government to threaten China with sanctions if it attempts to bypass western restrictions on Russia or provide military aid.