Report: Trump Considers Accusing China of Genocide

TRUNEWS with RICK WILES According to a new report, President Donald Trump is weighing whether or not to formally accuse the Chinese government of committing genocide against the Uighur people living in Xinjiang province. Citing two Trump administration officials, POLITICO reports that internal discussions at the White House are still “at the early stages” and involve personnel from the State and Homeland Security departments, as well as the National Security Council. Alternative phrases being considered include “crimes against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing,” which are deemed slightly less provocative. POLITICO reports former Vice President Joe Biden has informally signaled his support for the “genocide” label, which could play a role in the president’s decision-making process. It further reports: “White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien has accused China’s communist leaders of running “concentration camps” for Uighurs in Xinjiang, a northwestern province home to millions of Uighurs. A member of a United Nations human rights panel said in 2018 that China had “turned the Uighur autonomous region into something that resembles a massive internment camp,” where people are held without charge and little recourse to get legal representation to be released. More than a million Uighurs are believed to be held in such facilities. “Uighur rights groups have accused the Chinese government of torturing many Uighurs, forcing Uighur women to get abortions and be sterilized, feeding some detainees poorly and trying to wipe away their distinct ethnic culture, including forcing many to denounce Islam and chant Communist Party slogans. Beijing also uses extensive surveillance technology to track Uighurs. “Genocide declarations are rare, legally tricky and highly politically sensitive. U.S. officials have at times tried to avoid such declarations in the past, not least because, in theory, international law would compel some sort of American intervention — though not necessarily the military kind.” The State Department has previously declared the situation in Xinjiang as the largest mass incarceration of an ethnic minority since World War II. China’s Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, says the situation there has nothing to do with “human rights, religion, or ethnicity,” but rather about “combating violent terrorism and separatism.” At present, Beijing appears to be far more concerned about an American U-2 spy plane that it has accused of monitoring its ongoing drills in the South China Sea. China’s Defense Ministry, which rarely comments on such flights – in spite of their apparent regularity – claimed the overflight was “seriously interfering in normal exercise activities,” adding that it could have resulted in a “misunderstanding, misjudgment, or an unexpected incident.” The Defense Ministry spokesman added: “It was an act of naked provocation, and China is resolutely opposed to it, and have already lodged stern representations with the U.S. side.” Based on its known parameters, an American U-2 would not necessarily have to fly into a no-fly zone in order to monitor the activities carried out there. It has an operational ceiling of more than 70,000 feet – nearly 14 miles – which is high enough to see the curvature of the planet. The South China Morning Post reported this morning the People’s Liberation Army fired two “aircraft carrier killer” missiles into the South China Sea as a “warning to the U.S.” One was fired from Qinghai province, the other from Zhejiang province and both landed in an area between Hainan Island and the disputed Paracel Islands. A source in the PLA told the SCMP: “This is China’s response to the potential risks brought by the increasingly frequent incoming U.S. warplanes and military vessels in the South China Sea. China doesn’t want the neighboring countries to misunderstand Beijing’s goals. The U.S. continues to test China’s bottom line in Taiwan and South China Sea issues, and this pushed China to showcase its military strength to let Washington know that even U.S. aircraft carriers cannot flex their full muscle near China’s coast.” Additionally, the SCMP reported that “pro-democracy” opposition politicians have been rounded up in Hong Kong and have been charged with participating in last year’s anti-government protests and riots. In all, 16 lawmakers and staffers – all members of the Democratic Party – were arrested. (Photo Credit: The White House) www.trunews.com