The United States expresses concern over China's 'efforts to restrict and manipulate' the UN Human Rights chief's visit to the Xinjiang region.
The United States has expressed concern over China's "efforts to restrict and manipulate" the UN human rights chief's visit to the Xinjiang region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says.Washington had warned authorities would not grant the UN envoy necessary access to get a full assessment of the human rights situation in China
"The United States remains concerned about the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and her team's visit to the People's Republic of China and PRC efforts to restrict and manipulate her visit," Mr Blinken said in a statement. Mr Blinken reiterated that stance, saying he was "troubled by reports that residents of Xinjiang were warned not to complain or speak openly about conditions in the region, [and] that no insight was provided into the whereabouts of hundreds of missing Uyghurs and conditions for over a million individuals in detention.
Ms Bachelet defended her visit earlier on Saturday, saying it was "not an investigation" but an opportunity to engage with the government. The UN human rights chief's access was limited as China arranged for her to travel in a "closed loop" — isolating people within a virtual bubble to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — with no foreign press.
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