China Plans UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Visit to Xinjiang After Winter Olympics

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] China has agreed to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after the Winter Olympics, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 27th (local time).

On the same day, SCMP cited sources familiar with the matter, reporting that Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, recently obtained approval from the Chinese government to visit the region after the Olympics, which open on February 4.

A source who requested anonymity said, "After recent discussions between Commissioner Bachelet and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, China agreed to allow the visit in the first half of this year following the Beijing Winter Olympics," adding, "China also concluded that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) should not release reports related to Xinjiang." The source further stated, "China clearly expressed that it wants this visit to be defined as a friendly visit, not an investigation assuming guilt."

Previously, Commissioner Bachelet had raised concerns about the detention of ethnic minorities since September 2018 and had requested visits and access from the Chinese government to verify the situation.

Tensions between the US and China have been escalating ahead of the Olympics. The US recently claimed that crimes against humanity are being committed in Xinjiang, while China has opposed these claims, arguing that they undermine the efforts of the Olympic host country.

Earlier, some countries including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia announced they would not send official diplomatic delegations to this Winter Olympics in protest of China's human rights issues. The Biden administration increased pressure last month by effectively banning imports from Xinjiang through legislation related to forced labor allegations.

Jeff Merkley, Democratic Senator and Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), along with James McGovern, Democratic Representative and co-chair, sent a letter last week to Michelle Bachelet demanding that the Xinjiang human rights report be released before the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 4.

China has consistently denied these allegations, explaining that policies in the region aim to strengthen vocational training and suppress religious extremism.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Office announced in September that it was finalizing its assessment of the situation in Xinjiang and had mentioned at the end of last year that it hoped to release the report "within weeks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.