(San Francisco) – Human Rights Watch is calling on President Joe Biden to exert diplomatic pressure on Chinese President Xi Jinping during their expected meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco on November 14-15, 2023. The focus of this appeal is to address the ongoing human rights abuses, specifically calling for the release of Uyghur prisoners.
In line with the summit’s theme, “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All,” Human Rights Watch emphasizes the importance of championing human rights while addressing climate change and economic justice.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: “The Chinese government is not going to change its conduct unless it faces sustained public pressure about its horrendous crimes in Xinjiang and Tibet, intensifying repression across China, and the dismantling of democracy in Hong Kong,”
“Xi’s visit to APEC is his first to the United States since 2017. The Biden administration has said since 2021 that promoting human rights is a central element of its foreign policy and its China policy.
While meeting with Xi, US and other leaders should take a firm public stand on human rights concerns. They should be unambiguous in condemning the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic communities. Leaders should signal to Xi that they support investigations and accountability for these grave crimes at the international level, and press Xi to release the hundreds of thousands of people who remain arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang’s prisons.”
