The World Uyghur Congress has urged German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to raise allegations of forced labour, repression and restrictions on cultural freedoms with Chinese President Xi Jinping….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has urged German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to raise concerns over alleged human rights violations against Uyghurs during his state visit to China from 27 to 31 October. The organisation has called on Steinmeier to address issues including state-imposed forced labour, transnational repression and China’s new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a press release, the WUC said the alleged violations had implications for Germany’s economic relations with China and the safety of Uyghur communities living in Germany. It argued that human rights concerns should remain central to Berlin’s diplomatic and economic engagement with Beijing.
The organisation said Steinmeier’s visit came amid renewed warnings from United Nations human rights experts about practices that could amount to crimes against humanity. It cited concerns raised by UN experts in January 2026 over reports of state-imposed forced labour affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans and other ethnic communities in China.
The WUC also highlighted the potential presence of Uyghur forced labour in global supply chains, including those connected to German businesses, and called for greater scrutiny of commercial links that could be associated with alleged abuses.
The organisation expressed particular concern over China’s Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which came into force on 1 July 2026. According to the WUC, the legislation could further restrict freedoms relating to language, education, religion, culture, expression and assembly.
The press release cited a warning by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in June that the law could deepen existing restrictions. Türk called for the legislation to be repealed, according to the organisation.
The European Parliament also adopted a resolution on 30 April 2026 calling on Beijing to repeal the law, the WUC said. The organisation described the legislation as a further institutionalisation of forced assimilation policies that threaten Uyghur identity and cultural rights.
Concerns over transnational repression
The WUC raised concerns over Article 63 of the law, which it said allows Chinese law to be applied to individuals and organisations outside China accused of undermining ethnic unity. The organisation warned that the provision could provide an additional legal basis for pressure on Uyghur communities abroad.
It said Uyghur activists had faced intimidation, surveillance and pressure directed at their families in East Turkistan, the name commonly used by Uyghur organisations for China’s Xinjiang region.
“The Uyghur genocide is not confined to East Turkistan. Its consequences extend beyond China’s borders, from forced labour in international supply chains to the intimidation of Uyghurs living abroad,” WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun said, according to the press release.
Alawdun urged Steinmeier to raise the allegations directly with Xi, arguing that Germany’s economic and diplomatic engagement with China should not come at the expense of Uyghur rights.
The WUC also pointed to Germany’s intervention during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2026, when Berlin expressed concern that the new ethnic unity law further restricted cultural and religious freedoms in East Turkistan and Tibet. The organisation called on Steinmeier to follow up on Germany’s stated position during his meetings with Chinese officials.
The group urged the German president to press Beijing to close any remaining internment camps, release people it described as arbitrarily detained, end state-imposed forced labour and transnational repression, and repeal the ethnic unity law.
It also called for China to implement UN human rights recommendations and grant independent UN experts unrestricted access to East Turkistan, including detention facilities, to investigate alleged ongoing violations.
The WUC said Steinmeier’s visit offered an opportunity to raise these concerns at the highest diplomatic level and press China to address allegations concerning the treatment of Uyghurs.
