By Tahir Imin Uyghurian
June 29, 2025 | Washington, DC
Christie Henry, Director of Princeton University Press, is facing a wave of criticism after appearing in Chinese state media echoing official propaganda about the situation in Kashgar—a region at the heart of what has been widely documented and recognized as a genocide against the Uyghur people.
During a state-sponsored visit to the Uyghur homeland, Henry delivered remarks that aligned closely with the Chinese Communist Party’s narrative, describing Kashgar as a place of “peaceful coexistence” and “cultural harmony.” Her comments, widely circulated by Chinese media and official platforms, sparked immediate condemnation from Uyghur human rights activists, journalists, and researchers, who accused her of whitewashing crimes against humanity.
Over the past decade, China has been accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim peoples. Evidence includes leaked Chinese government documents, satellite imagery, and countless testimonies confirming the existence of mass internment camps, forced sterilization, child separation, forced labor, religious persecution, and cultural erasure.
The United States, Canada, Netherlands, and other governments have formally recognized these atrocities as genocide. In 2022, the United Nations issued a report stating that the scale and nature of China’s policies “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.”
Henry’s Remarks in State Media
In a professionally filmed and edited video produced by Chinese state outlets, Henry is shown smiling as she walks through the streets of Kashgar. She states:
“I wish I could bring all of the world here. So many cultures meet here. It is a way for the world to see how cultures can peacefully coexist… I can’t wait to help tell this story to the English-speaking world. The ability for multiple cultures and multiple languages to exist in such a magical way is a story that will help the world learn how to live in peace rather than in war.”
Her comments have been embraced by Chinese propaganda outlets and used to reinforce the narrative that Uyghurs are content and culturally thriving—a claim that starkly contrasts with the findings of international human rights investigations.
The Chinese Communist Party’s top national, regional and local propaganda outlets—People’s Daily, Xinjiang Daily, Tianshan Net, Altay News and Kashgar government —amplified her comments as part of a coordinated narrative campaign.
Propaganda Tour Sponsored by the CCP
Princeton University Press (PUP) issued a statement confirming the tour was sponsored by China National Publications Import and Export Group (CNPIEC)—a state-run publishing entity affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
“The tour was sponsored by CNPIEC, with whom PUP has been collaborating to expand the impact of our English-language scholarly publications in China. The entirety of the tour included accompaniment by regional and national journalists,” PUP stated.
However, all of these outlets operate under CCP oversight and are used to construct a narrative of “happy Uyghurs” and “beautiful Xinjiang” while suppressing independent journalism and persecuting dissenting voices.
In the article titled “Listen, the Sound of Dream Flowers Blooming at the Corner of the Ancient City Bazaar,” published by People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s flagship outlet, Henry is quoted extensively in a glowing feature.
The article celebrates her as the “President of Princeton University Press” and recipient of the 2023 Special Contribution Award for Chinese Books, praising her leadership in launching the “Princeton-China Series” and promoting “China’s top academic achievements to the United States and the world.”
Critical Responses:
Emmy-nominated journalist Melissa Chan condemned Christie Henry’s participation in the state-sponsored tour, describing it as a shocking display of “naïveté” and a failure of due diligence by an elite academic institution.
Uyghur-American activist Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, wrote on X:
“Behind the staged appearances lies a brutal, ongoing genocide, irrefutably confirmed by leaked internal documents from the Chinese government. It is deeply troubling to see respected academic voices in the United States echoing narratives that align with Chinese state propaganda.”
Uyghur researcher Nyrola denounced the cultural showcases used to mask repression:
“She would never applaud Black or Indigenous people being forced to dance like performing monkeys—she knows that would be racist. But if the monkeys are Uyghurs, it’s suddenly ‘charming,’ ‘cultural.’ This isn’t ignorance—it’s colonial entitlement and racism.”
James Millward, a historian and professor at Georgetown University, said on X that “the Princeton U Press delegation was tricked into helping in the ongoing PRC efforts to avoid international condemnation for its repression of Uyghur identity and crimes against humanity (mass internments) from 2017.” he added, “Henry’s comments set into this propaganda package of course seems to further the CCP goal of normalizing its policies in Xinjiang. But things there are not normal. Intellectuals like Rahile Dawut are still in prison for no reason, as are 100s of thousands of political prisoners.”
Millward also directly rebuked the Chinese authorities: “Now you trick Princeton into looking complicit in whitewashing your repression of Uyghurs. Do you actually WANT to cut off contacts with elite US universities?!?”
Instrument of Disinformation:
The Chinese government’s strategy of leveraging respected foreign academics to validate its image has become increasingly common. After Henry’s remarks were released, CCP-affiliated social media accounts and platforms aggressively promoted the video, flooding comment sections with praise while silencing or ignoring Uyghur voices and critics.
An Uyghur survivor, speaking anonymously to Uyghur Times, expressed the pain of seeing trusted academic institutions participate in this disinformation effort:
“We’ve long known that businesses profit from Uyghur forced labor. But to see highly educated elites in the United States deny the atrocities—and lend their voices to the Chinese government in exchange for a free tour or awards—it hurts deeply. It undermines years of hard work by Uyghur activists trying to raise awareness.”