In the run-up to its General Assembly on Thursday, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is faced with a massive disinformation campaign and cyberattacks. The Uyghurs suspect the Chinese state apparatus, which oppresses the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, is behind this. The Berlin WUC representative speaks of a “new dimension” of Beijing’s interference. Marcel Grzanna explains why these massive attacks are happening at this particular time.
The BRICS+ summit is being held in Kazan, Russia. In addition to the usual public gestures of support between Putin and Xi, an agreement between the BRICS heavyweights India and China is a surprising showstopper: After decades of disputes, the countries have made diplomatic progress regarding patrols of their common border. In our second analysis, we take a look at the conflict points along the border and the other topics discussed at the summit.
Last but not least, we are pleased to announce our media partnership with the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK):
Starting with tomorrow’s issue on Thursday, we will take you with us to New Delhi. In the Indian metropolis, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck will be joined by business giants such as Siemens and BASF to debate Germany’s de-risking future in the Asia-Pacific region.
You can look forward to exclusive dialogue partners and insights. We will publish four issues under the APK branding – including Saturday and Sunday. Our regular China coverage will be back on Monday.
The General Assembly of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) in Sarajevo on Thursday seems to be a thorn in someone’s side. Candidates and delegates are being slandered and threatened, misinformation about the conference is being spread, and the organization’s operational capacity is being hindered by cyberattacks. It is unclear who is behind the manipulation. However, the Uyghurs suspect the Chinese state apparatus is pulling the strings.
On Tuesday, a photo appeared on the internet showing two masked men in front of the portraits of four members of the WUC leadership, one of them armed with an assault rifle. “We are the puppets of the US government,” the Arabic writing underneath reads. The picture’s message is probably aimed at the entire Muslim world and is presumably intended to prevent possible solidarity with the Uyghurs in Arab states. The Uyghurs themselves are a Turkic people and do not speak Arabic.
The campaign by Unknown has been in full swing for weeks. “The intensity of attempted interference and disruption has reached a new dimension ahead of this assembly,” says Haiyuer Kuerban, Director of the WUC’s Berlin office. It is the eighth general assembly of the umbrella organization since 2004, which has established itself as a global representative of Uyghur interests with its headquarters in Munich. The fact that this particular year has seen the most massive attacks against the organization since its foundation probably has something to do with the growing recognition of its work. Never before has the cause of the Uyghurs attracted so much attention worldwide as in recent years.
Ever since the United Nations officially confirmed that the Chinese government had committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and international research documented the extent of repression and forced labor in the ethnic group’s homeland, the plight of the Uyghurs has been a matter of concern for governments, parliaments and civil societies around the world. The upcoming presidential and executive committee elections will be accompanied by international coverage and closely followed by politicians and activists.
Internationally, China must justify the oppression and persecution of millions of Uyghur men and women. In the US and Europe, new legislation is increasingly demanding more robust evidence of clean supply chains for products linked to Xinjiang. And one reason for China’s slowing economy is that other countries look closer at what they buy from the People’s Republic.
But during these very times, the umbrella organization, which recruits its delegates from almost two dozen internationally active Uyghur organizations, is plagued by internal problems. President Dolkun Isa is facing accusations of sexual harassment. He does not deny that he sent, at the very least, misleading messages to a young female activist from Brussels whom he had never met in person. A group of international academics accuse the WUC of lightly dismissing the issue as part of a Chinese campaign.
In conversation with Table.Briefings, Isa assures that he was not aware that his messages could be interpreted differently, but nevertheless drew the consequences. He has been on leave of absence for several months. According to the statutes, a third term of office is out of the question anyway. Still, his case casts a shadow over the congress and provides fuel for all those who wish to see the organization’s credibility shaken. The incident is accompanied by visibly falsified images showing Isa’s head in intimate encounters with young women.
The Chinese government is also officially attacking the General Assembly. The Chinese embassy in Bosnia is mobilizing all its forces to marginalize the importance of the event. Ambassador Miao Dake posed in a photo with Bosnian Security Minister Nenad Nešić for the Chinese government’s website. The text announced closer cooperation in areas such as police work. The publication was accompanied by subtle hints from Miao that Isa might be arrested if he entered Bosnia. Bosnia and the People’s Republic of China have signed an extradition treaty. According to reports, Isa will still be traveling to Sarajevo.
However, the manipulation campaign by the big unknown is bearing fruit in other ways. Around ten delegates have already canceled their participation in Sarajevo, mainly because they fear for some of their families who still live in the People’s Republic of China. A handful of delegates from Uzbekistan have canceled their participation altogether.
A few days ago, around 180 remaining delegates received an email from the account of WUC Chief Coordinator Erkin Zunun. In it, the author announced that the General Assembly had been canceled at short notice. However, as Zunun assured, he had not written the email. This means an unauthorized person must have sent the message from his account. All delegates also received a lengthy message via their Signal accounts from a faceless Abdullah, who questioned the legitimacy of the WUC in fluent Uyghur.
In this chaotic situation, a new leadership team must be elected. The search for Isa’s successor has already required much persuasion within the organization. The only candidate, the current Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee, Turghunjan Alawdun, can be certain that the Chinese government will pull out all the stops to intimidate and discredit him. A campaign against him has been running for weeks, trying to convince the Uyghurs that Alawdun wants to turn the secular organization into a religious sect.
The designated Chair of the Executive Committee, Zumretay Arkin, who is also a lobbyist at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and acts as the organization’s press spokesperson, is already getting a taste of this. Unknown sources on the Internet claim that she is unstable and has had improper relationships with several men.
The agreement between China and India on patrols along their common border is a remarkable diplomatic step forward on the sidelines of the BRICS+ meeting in Kazan, Russia. It would significantly defuse one of the oldest military conflicts on the Asian continent.
A day after India announced that it had reached an agreement with China on patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, China confirmed the development on Tuesday. According to a foreign office spokesperson, Beijing and New Delhi have been in close contact recently through diplomatic and military channels. The two sides held intensive discussions on possible solutions to the conflict along the Chinese-Indian border.
The agreement was announced ahead of a bilateral meeting on Wednesday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS+ summit. The meeting between Xi and Modi is the first formal meeting between the two leaders in five years. India’s Foreign Minister confirmed the meeting for the following day on Tuesday. Details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. It can be assumed that there is still some room for discussion between Xi and Modi.
The village of Demchok is located in the areas on whose future India and China reached an agreement on Monday. It is located right on the LAC in the south-easternmost corner of Ladakh and is one of the most remote villages in the country – yet it is of enormous strategic importance for both sides.
The area was the scene of one of the battles during the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962 and has been a site of confrontation between Chinese and Indian troops for more than a decade. Both countries are armed to the teeth there. There have been several clashes over military patrols, shepherds’ pastures or the construction of buildings.
Several conflict points in eastern Ladakh have flared up again since bloody clashes broke out in the Galwan Valley in 2020. These are
The Xi-Modi meeting and the agreement are viewed with “cautious optimism,” writes Manoj Kewalramani. He is Chairman of the Indo-Pacific Research Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and an expert on China’s military strategy. “Perhaps, the meeting will yield greater clarity on how both sides are likely to move forward on the boundary issue,” says Kewalramani.
He believes a deeper understanding is still needed on both sides. “This will take time and patience. Moreover, given the experience of summitry with China over the past decade and the structural fault lines between the two sides, it would be prudent to keep expectations low,” Kewalramani concludes.
Meanwhile, Putin and Xi discussed Ukraine and other global issues during the meeting on the summit’s sidelines, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The two heads of state “reaffirmed their strong strategic partnership and outlined plans for future cooperation.”
“At present, the world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years, the international situation is intertwined with chaos,” Xi told Putin, according to state media. “But I firmly believe that the friendship between China and Russia will continue for generations, and great countries’ responsibility to their people will not change.”
Putin called Xi a “dear friend” and said that the partnership with China was a force for stability in the world: “Russian-Chinese cooperation in world affairs is one of the main stabilizing factors on the world stage,” Putin said. There were also expressions of support from South Africa: “We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.
India’s Prime Minister Modi had called for peace in Ukraine before the summit. He said there would be more opportunity to talk about it on Wednesday.
The BRICS+ will continue their summit on Wednesday. On this day, Putin will meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On Thursday, Putin will hold a press conference after the summit.
Delegations from 36 countries – 22 of which are represented by heads of state – and six international organizations are attending the summit. These countries account for 45 percent of the world population and 35 percent of the global economy.
Sinolytics is a research-based business consultancy entirely focused on China. It advises European companies on their strategic orientation and specific business activities in the People’s Republic.
Animal help wanted! Pet cafés, where guests can spend time with dogs, cats or even more exotic animals, are big business in China. Some café owners now take the opportunity to accept applications from furry four-legged friends, as CNN writes. This is popular with people who want to put their pets to work. “Earn snack money” (zhengmao tiaoqian) is the name of the trend on Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram. And what do animal employees earn? One job listing offers a 30 percent discount for pet owners. Another café owner offers a starting salary of five cans of cat food “after tax” – of course.
In the run-up to its General Assembly on Thursday, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is faced with a massive disinformation campaign and cyberattacks. The Uyghurs suspect the Chinese state apparatus, which oppresses the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, is behind this. The Berlin WUC representative speaks of a “new dimension” of Beijing’s interference. Marcel Grzanna explains why these massive attacks are happening at this particular time.
The BRICS+ summit is being held in Kazan, Russia. In addition to the usual public gestures of support between Putin and Xi, an agreement between the BRICS heavyweights India and China is a surprising showstopper: After decades of disputes, the countries have made diplomatic progress regarding patrols of their common border. In our second analysis, we take a look at the conflict points along the border and the other topics discussed at the summit.
Last but not least, we are pleased to announce our media partnership with the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK):
Starting with tomorrow’s issue on Thursday, we will take you with us to New Delhi. In the Indian metropolis, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck will be joined by business giants such as Siemens and BASF to debate Germany’s de-risking future in the Asia-Pacific region.
You can look forward to exclusive dialogue partners and insights. We will publish four issues under the APK branding – including Saturday and Sunday. Our regular China coverage will be back on Monday.
The General Assembly of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) in Sarajevo on Thursday seems to be a thorn in someone’s side. Candidates and delegates are being slandered and threatened, misinformation about the conference is being spread, and the organization’s operational capacity is being hindered by cyberattacks. It is unclear who is behind the manipulation. However, the Uyghurs suspect the Chinese state apparatus is pulling the strings.
On Tuesday, a photo appeared on the internet showing two masked men in front of the portraits of four members of the WUC leadership, one of them armed with an assault rifle. “We are the puppets of the US government,” the Arabic writing underneath reads. The picture’s message is probably aimed at the entire Muslim world and is presumably intended to prevent possible solidarity with the Uyghurs in Arab states. The Uyghurs themselves are a Turkic people and do not speak Arabic.
The campaign by Unknown has been in full swing for weeks. “The intensity of attempted interference and disruption has reached a new dimension ahead of this assembly,” says Haiyuer Kuerban, Director of the WUC’s Berlin office. It is the eighth general assembly of the umbrella organization since 2004, which has established itself as a global representative of Uyghur interests with its headquarters in Munich. The fact that this particular year has seen the most massive attacks against the organization since its foundation probably has something to do with the growing recognition of its work. Never before has the cause of the Uyghurs attracted so much attention worldwide as in recent years.
Ever since the United Nations officially confirmed that the Chinese government had committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and international research documented the extent of repression and forced labor in the ethnic group’s homeland, the plight of the Uyghurs has been a matter of concern for governments, parliaments and civil societies around the world. The upcoming presidential and executive committee elections will be accompanied by international coverage and closely followed by politicians and activists.
Internationally, China must justify the oppression and persecution of millions of Uyghur men and women. In the US and Europe, new legislation is increasingly demanding more robust evidence of clean supply chains for products linked to Xinjiang. And one reason for China’s slowing economy is that other countries look closer at what they buy from the People’s Republic.
But during these very times, the umbrella organization, which recruits its delegates from almost two dozen internationally active Uyghur organizations, is plagued by internal problems. President Dolkun Isa is facing accusations of sexual harassment. He does not deny that he sent, at the very least, misleading messages to a young female activist from Brussels whom he had never met in person. A group of international academics accuse the WUC of lightly dismissing the issue as part of a Chinese campaign.
In conversation with Table.Briefings, Isa assures that he was not aware that his messages could be interpreted differently, but nevertheless drew the consequences. He has been on leave of absence for several months. According to the statutes, a third term of office is out of the question anyway. Still, his case casts a shadow over the congress and provides fuel for all those who wish to see the organization’s credibility shaken. The incident is accompanied by visibly falsified images showing Isa’s head in intimate encounters with young women.
The Chinese government is also officially attacking the General Assembly. The Chinese embassy in Bosnia is mobilizing all its forces to marginalize the importance of the event. Ambassador Miao Dake posed in a photo with Bosnian Security Minister Nenad Nešić for the Chinese government’s website. The text announced closer cooperation in areas such as police work. The publication was accompanied by subtle hints from Miao that Isa might be arrested if he entered Bosnia. Bosnia and the People’s Republic of China have signed an extradition treaty. According to reports, Isa will still be traveling to Sarajevo.
However, the manipulation campaign by the big unknown is bearing fruit in other ways. Around ten delegates have already canceled their participation in Sarajevo, mainly because they fear for some of their families who still live in the People’s Republic of China. A handful of delegates from Uzbekistan have canceled their participation altogether.
A few days ago, around 180 remaining delegates received an email from the account of WUC Chief Coordinator Erkin Zunun. In it, the author announced that the General Assembly had been canceled at short notice. However, as Zunun assured, he had not written the email. This means an unauthorized person must have sent the message from his account. All delegates also received a lengthy message via their Signal accounts from a faceless Abdullah, who questioned the legitimacy of the WUC in fluent Uyghur.
In this chaotic situation, a new leadership team must be elected. The search for Isa’s successor has already required much persuasion within the organization. The only candidate, the current Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee, Turghunjan Alawdun, can be certain that the Chinese government will pull out all the stops to intimidate and discredit him. A campaign against him has been running for weeks, trying to convince the Uyghurs that Alawdun wants to turn the secular organization into a religious sect.
The designated Chair of the Executive Committee, Zumretay Arkin, who is also a lobbyist at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and acts as the organization’s press spokesperson, is already getting a taste of this. Unknown sources on the Internet claim that she is unstable and has had improper relationships with several men.
The agreement between China and India on patrols along their common border is a remarkable diplomatic step forward on the sidelines of the BRICS+ meeting in Kazan, Russia. It would significantly defuse one of the oldest military conflicts on the Asian continent.
A day after India announced that it had reached an agreement with China on patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, China confirmed the development on Tuesday. According to a foreign office spokesperson, Beijing and New Delhi have been in close contact recently through diplomatic and military channels. The two sides held intensive discussions on possible solutions to the conflict along the Chinese-Indian border.
The agreement was announced ahead of a bilateral meeting on Wednesday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS+ summit. The meeting between Xi and Modi is the first formal meeting between the two leaders in five years. India’s Foreign Minister confirmed the meeting for the following day on Tuesday. Details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. It can be assumed that there is still some room for discussion between Xi and Modi.
The village of Demchok is located in the areas on whose future India and China reached an agreement on Monday. It is located right on the LAC in the south-easternmost corner of Ladakh and is one of the most remote villages in the country – yet it is of enormous strategic importance for both sides.
The area was the scene of one of the battles during the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962 and has been a site of confrontation between Chinese and Indian troops for more than a decade. Both countries are armed to the teeth there. There have been several clashes over military patrols, shepherds’ pastures or the construction of buildings.
Several conflict points in eastern Ladakh have flared up again since bloody clashes broke out in the Galwan Valley in 2020. These are
The Xi-Modi meeting and the agreement are viewed with “cautious optimism,” writes Manoj Kewalramani. He is Chairman of the Indo-Pacific Research Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and an expert on China’s military strategy. “Perhaps, the meeting will yield greater clarity on how both sides are likely to move forward on the boundary issue,” says Kewalramani.
He believes a deeper understanding is still needed on both sides. “This will take time and patience. Moreover, given the experience of summitry with China over the past decade and the structural fault lines between the two sides, it would be prudent to keep expectations low,” Kewalramani concludes.
Meanwhile, Putin and Xi discussed Ukraine and other global issues during the meeting on the summit’s sidelines, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The two heads of state “reaffirmed their strong strategic partnership and outlined plans for future cooperation.”
“At present, the world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years, the international situation is intertwined with chaos,” Xi told Putin, according to state media. “But I firmly believe that the friendship between China and Russia will continue for generations, and great countries’ responsibility to their people will not change.”
Putin called Xi a “dear friend” and said that the partnership with China was a force for stability in the world: “Russian-Chinese cooperation in world affairs is one of the main stabilizing factors on the world stage,” Putin said. There were also expressions of support from South Africa: “We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.
India’s Prime Minister Modi had called for peace in Ukraine before the summit. He said there would be more opportunity to talk about it on Wednesday.
The BRICS+ will continue their summit on Wednesday. On this day, Putin will meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On Thursday, Putin will hold a press conference after the summit.
Delegations from 36 countries – 22 of which are represented by heads of state – and six international organizations are attending the summit. These countries account for 45 percent of the world population and 35 percent of the global economy.
Sinolytics is a research-based business consultancy entirely focused on China. It advises European companies on their strategic orientation and specific business activities in the People’s Republic.
Animal help wanted! Pet cafés, where guests can spend time with dogs, cats or even more exotic animals, are big business in China. Some café owners now take the opportunity to accept applications from furry four-legged friends, as CNN writes. This is popular with people who want to put their pets to work. “Earn snack money” (zhengmao tiaoqian) is the name of the trend on Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram. And what do animal employees earn? One job listing offers a 30 percent discount for pet owners. Another café owner offers a starting salary of five cans of cat food “after tax” – of course.
