Which Does Secretary of State Blinken Think Is Worse: Chinese Uyghur Genocide or Spy Balloon?

Terence Jeffrey / February 08, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken—who was planning to leave last Friday on a trip to the People’s Republic of China—gave an address Jan. 30 at the International Religious Freedom Summit, where he happened to mention that the Chinese leaders he was preparing to visit were at that moment engaging in genocide.

“This past November,” said Blinken, “I named a dozen nations as ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ because of their egregious violations of religious freedom, from Russian authorities raiding and brutally beating Jehovah’s Witnesses to the People’s Republic of China perpetrating an ongoing genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs.”

This was not the first time Blinken had stated that China’s communist regime was guilty of genocide.

On Jan. 19, 2021, outgoing Secretary of State Michael Pompeo issued a statement declaring that the People’s Republic of China was committing genocide against the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group that inhabits China’s Xinjiang region.

“[A]fter careful examination of the available facts,” Pompeo said, “I have determined that the PRC, under the direction and control of the [Chinese Communist Party], has committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systemic attempt to destroy Uyghurs by the Chinese party-state.”

That same day, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee took testimony from Blinken in a hearing on his nomination to succeed Pompeo as secretary of state. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asked Blinken about Pompeo’s statement.

“Secretary Pompeo designated the Chinese Communist Party as having engaged in genocide regarding the Uyghur Muslim population. You agree with that designation?” Graham asked.

“That would be my judgment as well,” Blinken responded.

“You do agree?” Graham asked.

“Yes,” said Blinken.

The State Department’s 2021 report on human rights in China, which was published last April, also said the Chinese regime was committing genocide.

“Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” said the report.

“These crimes,” said the State Department, “were continuing and included: the arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians; forced sterilization, coerced abortions, and more restrictive application of the country’s birth control policies; rape; torture of a large number of those arbitrarily detained; forced labor; and draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.”

The report also cited “arbitrary or unlawful killings by the government.”

On Dec. 23, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which put limited restrictions on U.S. trade with Communist China. “This bill imposes importation limits on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and imposes sanctions related to such forced labor,” said the official summary of this law.

Blinken praised this weak response to China’s continuing genocide.

“President Biden today signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, underscoring the United States’ commitment to combatting forced labor, including in the context of the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang,” Blinken said in a written statement.

“We call on the Government of the People’s Republic of China to immediately end genocide and crimes against humanity against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” Blinken said.

What concrete impact did this law have on U.S. trade with Communist China?

In 2020, the year Biden was elected, the United States ran a merchandise trade deficit of $308,139,500,000 with China, according to Census Bureau data. In 2021—at the end of which Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law—the United States ran a merchandise trade deficit of $353,493,200,000 with China. In 2022, the first full year after Biden signed that law, the United States merchandise trade deficit with China rose to $382,917,000,000.

In each of Biden’s first two years in office, America’s trade deficit with Communist China has increased.

In 2020, the United States imported $423,683,400,000 in goods from China. In 2021, that increased to $504,935,400,000. In 2022, it increased again to $536,754,100,000.

At the same time, our government was declaring Communist China guilty of genocide, we were sending that genocidal regime more money for imported goods.

When Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia last November, he enthusiastically praised this communist leader whose regime was committing genocide.

“I’m really glad to be able to see you again in person,” Biden told Xi. “We spent a lot of time together and—back in the days when we were both vice presidents, and it’s just great to see you.

“And you and I have had a number of candid and useful conversations over the years, and since I became president as well,” said Biden. “You were kind enough to call me to congratulate me, and I congratulate you as well.”

Thus, Biden congratulated the leader of a regime that is committing genocide for being the leader of that regime.

Biden’s approach toward the government of Communist Chinese has changed—at least cosmetically—since that regime flew a spy balloon over the United States last week.

Blinken announced he was canceling his trip to China. But will Biden now do anything about America’s massive and mounting trade deficit with this regime that Biden’s own administration says is engaging in genocide?

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