The Chinese government’s invitation-only trips to Xinjiang have drawn sharp criticism from experts who denounce them as genocide tourism. In an effort to repair its tarnished human rights image, China has opened its doors to select visitors, presenting the restive far-western region as a tourist destination. These trips aim to show how Xinjiang’s traditional culture is protected and to highlight the region’s production and development. However, critics argue that the visits are orchestrated propaganda tours designed to cover up the severe human rights violations taking place in Xinjiang.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, nearly 400 delegations and groups, comprising over 4,300 individuals from various countries and international organizations, visited Xinjiang in 2023. The visitors included government officials, diplomats, religious figures, experts, scholars, journalists, and ordinary travelers. However, visits to Xinjiang remain by invitation only, and visitors are led on government-sponsored tours.
Xinjiang has been the focal point of international scrutiny due to accusations of genocide and crimes against humanity committed by Chinese authorities against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. The United States, the United Nations, Western parliaments, and human rights groups have condemned the harsh repression and highlighted the detention of an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, the destruction of thousands of mosques, and the banning of the Uyghur language in schools and government offices. China has denied erasing Uyghur culture and claims that the re-education camps have been closed.
Critics argue that the orchestrated visits to Xinjiang are part of China’s strategy to legitimize its colonization of the Uyghur region and whitewash its human rights violations. Human rights groups have condemned these visits as genocide tourism that helps China conceal its atrocities. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, warns that collaborating with China’s propaganda amounts to complicity in genocide. Experts, such as Adrian Zenz, describe the visits as a hollowed-out portrayal of Uyghur culture, carefully curated by the Chinese Communist Party.
The timing of these visits coincides with China’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, where member states undergo a peer review of their human rights records. Critics argue that the UPR lacks penalties for non-compliance or addressing abuses effectively, allowing Beijing to manipulate the process and evade scrutiny. Sophie Richardson, former China director at Human Rights Watch, emphasizes the need for greater transparency and independent civil society involvement in the UPR process.
While the Chinese government presents these trips as an opportunity to showcase Xinjiang, experts and rights groups condemn them as a carefully orchestrated attempt to hide the truth about the human rights violations occurring in the region. As international discussions on Xinjiang’s situation continue, the spotlight remains on Chinese authorities, urging them to address the concerns and allegations raised by the international community.
