State Department Again Accuses China of ‘Genocide’

Days after China said a visit by the U.N. human rights chief had put to rest "lies and rumors” about the situation in Xinjiang, the State Department on Thursday restated the U.S. assessment that Beijing is committing “genocide” against minorities in the far-western region.

Releasing the department’s annual report on international religious freedom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Rashad Hussain both underlined accusations that China hotly disputes.

“China continues its genocide and repression of predominately Muslim Uyghurs and other religious minority groups,” said Blinken. “Since April 2017, more than one million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and others have been detained in internment camps in Xinjiang.”