  IntroductionChina, a superpower on the international stage, has come under fire for its inconsistent treatment of minority communities. While publicly supporting t

China, a superpower on the international stage, has come under fire for its inconsistent treatment of minority communities. While publicly supporting the Palestinian cause, China's treatment of its own Muslim minority, the Uighurs, betrays a blatant lack of sincerity. For a very long time, China has positioned itself as a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. The Chinese government has publicly backed the creation of a Palestinian state with full sovereign rights and has continuously denounced Israeli acts that jeopardise the chances for peace. China is also seen as a champion of justice and a supporter of human rights in its rhetoric. Financial and political support has been given to the Palestinians in a number of international forums, including the United Nations. It has repeatedly supported resolutions that criticise Israeli settlements and support Palestinian self-determination. Moreover, China has provided the Palestinians with financial assistance, funding both humanitarian aid and infrastructure projects. Many people believe that China's stance on the Palestinian question reflects its larger foreign policy stance in West Asia to counter the United States, which places an emphasis on non-interference, respect for sovereignty, and assistance to the Global South.

 China’s Double Standards: Blind spot for Palestine

China has traditionally supported the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital, as part of the two-state solution. It has advocated for a peaceful negotiating process to reach the two-state solution as a means of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue. China has helped Palestine economically by funding infrastructure projects, providing humanitarian relief, and lending a hand financially. It has aided in the construction of Palestinian institutions and infrastructure, including power plants, hospitals, and schools. China sees stability and growth in Palestine as being essential for a long-term peace process, so it is supporting Palestine economically.

In Xinjiang province, the Uighur population is subjected to extensive monitoring, with the Chinese authorities using cutting-edge technology to keep an eye on every aspect of their lives. To crush dissent and repress religious expression, predictive policing techniques, facial recognition technology, and DNA collecting are used. Uighurs who reside outside of Xinjiang are likewise targeted; their passports are seized, and their families are closely monitored. The pervasive use of forced labour in Xinjiang, particularly in the cotton and textile industries, has been made public by numerous reports and investigations. Workers from the Uighur ethnic group are allegedly exposed to abusive working conditions and pressured to give up their cultural and religious practises. Additionally, reports of forced sterilisations and limitations on Uighur birth rates, which represent a serious violation of reproductive rights, have surfaced.  

On the last day of his four-day “Strategic Partnership” visit from China, Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, endorsed the Xinjiang provincial policies of the Communist Party of China.  In the joint statement, Abbas said that China's activities in Xinjiang have "nothing to do with human rights" and are intended to fight terrorism and extremism rather than promote human rights. He also emphasised the Palestinians' objection to interfering in China's internal affairs exploiting the Xinjiang issue.

China Seen Posturing, Palestine Prioritising National Interests

In terms of advancing [its] international position or future trade and other economic ties, China's goals in Israel-Palestine and the area more generally are essentially transactional rather than ideological. The same is true for Mahmoud Abbas and other regional leaders, for whom China serves as a significant check on the US. It is claimed that China's overtures and Abbas' travel to China are mere posturing meant to improve China's reputation internationally and criticise the Biden administration's handling of the Palestinian issue. The visit by Abbas fits into China's larger plan to gain influence over Israel and fortify its position in West Asia, according to Ghulam Yaghma, the head of the East Turkistan Government in Exile in Washington. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China is also known as East Turkistan.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to achieve global economic and political domination, is crucial to China's stated strategic objective, which is to "strengthen its position among the Arab world and gain dominance in the Persian Gulf." Salih Hudayar, the prime minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile in Washington, believes that China's assistance to the Palestinian cause is an intentional ploy to draw attention away from its own occupation and purported genocide in Xinjiang. China's assistance to the PLO and the Palestinian cause "serves as a smokescreen to conceal the Chinese occupation and genocide carried out in East Turkistan”. Palestine adamantly rejects any meddling in Chinese internal affairs that uses Xinjiang-related problems as an excuse. The Palestinian Authority also affirmed its support for China in relation to Taiwan and Hong Kong in the statement, recognising Xi's administration as the "only legal government representing the whole of China." Even senior Palestinian officials believe that the upcoming state visit to China by the president of the Palestinian Authority is more about enhancing Beijing's reputation on the international scene than it is about making a meaningful effort to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Palestinians would have good cause to assist the Uyghurs, but supporting China is in their best interests as a nation. The Palestinian Authority is increasingly dependent on China and is in need of Chinese resources, including money and technology, as well as assistance on the global stage. Palestine's interests are not aligned with the Uyghur problem.  Therefore, the national interest of Palestine is the main consideration here. The advantages of cooperating with China exceed the advantages of aiding the Uyghurs. Despite the fact that the Uyghurs are Muslims, in situations like this, they do not place a high importance on the Uyghur issue. Meanwhile, in an effort to challenge American dominance in West Asia, China has been luring Arab nations closer to itself.

China is attempting to establish itself as a dependable partner in resolving regional difficulties by playing a brokering role in a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. If the Chinese are able to make some progress on this matter, that would do a great deal to convey to regional players the advantages of cooperating with Beijing rather than Washington when it comes to sensitive diplomatic files in the region. Palestine, which perceives itself as being at a disadvantage in its confrontations with Israel, would put its faith in China as a mediator in peace talks rather than the United States, which is a staunch ally of Israel.  This comment from Abbas will disappoint the Uyghurs, but the Palestinian leadership must be realistic in its interactions with other nations. 

The Ink Pact between Palestine and China: The Evolving Political Dynamics in West Asia

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