By Uyghur Times Staff
December 10, 2024
Chinese arms manufacturers, including those implicated in repression in the Uyghur region, continue to export weapons to the United States, Europe, and India, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has reported.
The investigation reveals that companies such as Chongqing Jianshe Industry, affiliated with China South Industries Group, have exported hundreds of shotguns to U.S.-based dealers and shipped sporting goods to Germany, despite being blacklisted by the U.S. for their alleged role in human rights abuses. Notably, this includes equipping police in the Uyghur region with bayonet-equipped Type 95 automatic rifles.
The Uyghur region has become a testing ground for China’s domestic security apparatus, with tools ranging from surveillance systems to riot gear being deployed to suppress Muslim minorities. Researchers and ex-detainees have detailed the repressive environment, including mass detention, family separations, and forced labor, highlighting the role of state-owned manufacturers in perpetuating these abuses.
Since ICIJ’s 2019 China Cables investigation, which exposed China’s mass internment and surveillance policies in the Uyghur region, Western governments have imposed sanctions on key Chinese officials and companies. However, experts argue that these measures fall short, as they mainly target exports to China while allowing imports from companies tied to rights violations.
Advocates, including Uyghurs in exile, have expressed frustration over the lack of meaningful change despite international scrutiny. A Uyghur activist, Asiye Abdulaheb, who helped expose the China Cables, said that Uyghurs continue to face “catastrophic suffering,” and sanctions against Beijing have proven ineffective in alleviating their plight.
Chinese officials defend their policies as counter-terrorism measures and have criticized international sanctions as unjustified. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers like Wuwei Police Equipment and Qidong Perfect Precise Tools continue to market riot-control gear and airsoft guns abroad, further complicating efforts to hold Beijing accountable.
For more on this story, visit the ICIJ’s full report.
Source: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
