President Biden is dismissing genocide against the Uighur population in China, calling mass internment a “different norm”, despite the State Department responding this month to “atrocities” in the camps, following reports of rape and systemic torture.
The commander-in-chief made the remarks after being asked during his CNN meeting Tuesday night about his recent conversation with his Chinese counterpart, beginning his response by relaying Xi’s justification for the abuses.
“If you know anything about the history of China, it always has been, the time that China has been a victim of the outside world is when they have not unified at home,” Biden began. “So the core principle – well, hugely exaggerated – Xi Jinping’s core principle is that there must be a united and tightly controlled China. And he uses his reason for being for the things he does based on that. “
China, a nation that has faced a wave of international scrutiny in recent years in relation to its activities to dismantle democracy in Hong Kong and its refusal to accept responsibility for negligence and lack of transparency at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, it has not. Let global tensions stop your mass internment of Uighurs in Xinjiang province.
President Biden continued in his response by saying that he “will not speak out against” the belligerent actions of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, against the Uyghurs or in Taiwan.
“I point out to you that no American president can be sustained as president if he does not reflect the values of the United States,” continued the president of the United States. “So the idea that I’m not going to speak out against what he’s doing in Hong Kong, what he’s doing with the Uighurs in the western mountains of China and Taiwan, trying to end the one-China policy by doing it. forceful … [Xi] You understand. “
“Culturally there are different standards that each country and its leaders are expected to follow,” he continued.
The “norms” in China, as shown in a recent BBC News exhibit, include the systemic torture and rape that occur in Uighur concentration camps.
Following the publication of the BBC report, China banned the exit on its territory.
When asked during town hall if there would be repercussions for the CCP from the genocide, Biden sidestepped the question and said the United States would “reaffirm our role as spokespersons for human rights at the UN and other agencies.”
“Well, there will be repercussions for China and [Xi] Know that. What I am doing is making it clear that, in fact, we are going to continue to reaffirm our role as spokespersons for human rights at the UN and other agencies that have an impact on their attitude, “he said.
When asked if China was not yet too powerful to stop its appalling human rights practices, Biden expressed confidence that human rights would win.
“China is making a great effort to become the world leader. And to get that nickname and to be able to do it, they have to earn the trust of other countries. And as long as they engage in activity contrary to basic human rights, it will be difficult for them to do so.
“But it’s much more complicated than that, you shouldn’t try to talk about China’s politics in 10 minutes on TV here.”
The Post could not immediately reach a White House spokesperson for comment.
During his confirmation hearings last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken specifically agreed with outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in identifying the Chinese government’s treatment of Uighur Muslims as “genocide” and said “there has been a bipartisan commitment. strong and prolonged with Taiwan … [and] the commitment to Taiwan is something we firmly uphold. “
Biden has not publicly acknowledged receiving a congratulatory phone call from the President of Taiwan.