China is schmoozing with the Muslim world
Photo credit: The China Project illustration by Derek Zheng
As the Trump administrationโs Middle East policies alienate and confuse allies, enemies, and everyone else, China is wasting no time reassuring Muslim-majority nations that Beijing is a reliable partner. The China-Africa Project reportsย (paywall):
Chinese Foreign Minister Wรกng Yรฌ ็ๆฏ wrapped up the first stop of his five-nation African tour following a full day of high-level meetings with Egyptian and Arab regional leadersโฆ
Wang found a friendly audience in Cairo to speak out against critics of Chinaโs controversial policies in Xinjiang where an estimated one million Muslim Uyghurs are being interned. At a press briefing with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, Wang accused western media of โfabricating lies to drive a wedge between China and Islamic countries.โ [Xinhua has a version of Wangโs remarks here, in Chinese.]
Wangโs position on Xinjiang was well-received by his hosts and Egyptian state media that re-printed his comments almost verbatim without any challenge. This highlights the strong coalition of Muslim countries, especially in Africa, that China has mobilized to support its policies in Xinjiang.
