China’s Communist party secretary for Xinjiang, Ma Xingrui, has urged diplomats from pro-China nations to speak out in support of Beijing against Western condemnation over the alleged repression of Uyghur Muslims. During a welcome speech to consuls general from Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Turkey and Vietnam, Ma accused “anti-China forces” of spreading “anti-China fake news” that undermines human rights progress in Xinjiang. He implored the diplomats to help China in the international community. Many of the visiting diplomats come from autocratic, developing nations that depend highly on China for trade and infrastructure investment. Critics of China’s alleged Uyghur repression say that the Chinese government is trying to improve its reputation abroad.
