The East Turkistan Government in Exile has urged Donald Trump to raise alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang during his upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has urged US President Donald Trump to raise concerns over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting in Washington.
Xi is scheduled to visit the United States from September 23 to 25 at Trump’s invitation, with the two leaders expected to discuss China US relations and wider international issues.
The ETGE, an organisation representing a government in exile that advocates independence for East Turkistan, has accused Beijing of an “ongoing genocide” against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Turkic peoples in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The Chinese government rejects allegations of genocide and has described its policies in Xinjiang as measures aimed at countering terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The United Nations human rights office has previously documented serious human rights concerns in Xinjiang, including reports involving arbitrary detention, restrictions on religious and cultural rights and allegations of forced labour.
The ETGE said the issue should be raised alongside major economic and strategic matters expected to feature during the Trump Xi talks, including trade, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
“East Turkistan is not a peripheral issue. It is central to China’s economic, energy, and strategic power,” the organisation said.
It argued that Xinjiang’s natural resources and geographical position make the region significant to China’s economy and its links with Central Asia and wider Eurasia.
The group also pointed to what it described as the region’s importance to China’s military and technological infrastructure, including nuclear facilities and missile infrastructure.
The ETGE said control over the territory allowed Beijing to exploit its resources and strategic location while strengthening China’s wider economic and military capabilities.
Mamtimin Ala, president of the ETGE, called on Trump to raise the issue of alleged abuses directly with Xi.
He said the US President should make clear that “genocide, colonial occupation, and the exploitation” of the region could not be separated from broader concerns about China’s strategic position.
Salih Hudayar, foreign minister of the ETGE and president of the East Turkistan National Movement, said the region’s energy resources, critical minerals, trade routes and military infrastructure were relevant to US strategic interests.
“The critical minerals, energy resources, trade routes, and military infrastructure Beijing controls through Occupied East Turkistan are pillars of Chinese strategic power,” Hudayar said.
The ETGE also called on the Trump administration to reject agreements with Beijing that it said could weaken accountability or restrictions on forced labour.
It urged Washington to press Chinese authorities over people it said had been arbitrarily detained and to support what it described as the East Turkistani people’s right to decolonisation and independence.
Xi’s visit comes as Washington and Beijing seek to manage tensions over trade, technology and strategic issues. The White House has said Trump will host Xi at the White House on September 24, with discussions expected to cover major bilateral and international issues.
