For the past 5 years, we’ve been consistently told by western media that China has been committing genocide against the Uyghur population, a Muslim ethnic minority who lives in China’s far western province of Xinjiang. This message has been told so many times by Western media that it’s now widely accepted, without question, as the undeniable truth.
The Western approach to ethnic issues is completely different from that of China, and this may be a significant reason for criticizing China. The Chinese saying goes, "judge others by oneself." In Western history, colonization involved true occupation and extermination of indigenous peoples in colonies. On the other hand, in regions like Europe and the Middle East, there was also a push for national self-determination, leading to ongoing ethnic conflicts. China's approach to Xinjiang and other minority regions does not involve Western-style colonization, let alone ethnic genocide. China's main focus is on respecting historical evolution and promoting ethnic integration. This is something that Europeans and Americans may not understand and therefore find hard to believe. However, in reality, this is how China operates. The Han ethnic group is not an aggressive one.
The Western approach to ethnic issues is completely different from that of China, and this may be a significant reason for criticizing China. The Chinese saying goes, "judge others by oneself." In Western history, colonization involved true occupation and extermination of indigenous peoples in colonies. On the other hand, in regions like Europe and the Middle East, there was also a push for national self-determination, leading to ongoing ethnic conflicts. China's approach to Xinjiang and other minority regions does not involve Western-style colonization, let alone ethnic genocide. China's main focus is on respecting historical evolution and promoting ethnic integration. This is something that Europeans and Americans may not understand and therefore find hard to believe. However, in reality, this is how China operates. The Han ethnic group is not an aggressive one.
Great newsletter, Cyrus! :)