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The World Uyghur Congress Expresses Concern Over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project

Press Release – For immediate release
4 May 2015
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

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The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) expresses its deep concern for the newly agreed upon China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. Of particular concern are the potential implications for the Uyghur people living in East Turkestan and the impact the project may have on existing ethnic tensions – something that may be stoked by a greater influx of Chinese migrants and an even tougher security response from the state.On April 20, 2015, China and Pakistan launched an enormous $46bn plan to establish an economic corridor that will eventually link China’s western region with the Indian Ocean at Gwadar. The corridor will consist of a network of roads, railway and pipeline to transport oil and natural gas from the large reserves in East Turkestan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan in which the deal took centre stage in his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain. Not only does the deal signal greater economic cooperation between the two states, but it underscores an intensified relationship that has extended, in recent years, to security and other issues.

In August, 2011, five Uyghur refugees were deported to China from Pakistan, in clear violation of the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, to which China is a signatory to both the 1951 Convention as well as its 1967 Optional Protocol, despite reservations. Secretive deportations of Uyghurs from neighbouring Afghanistan have also been revealed as part of China’s effort to crackdown on ostensibly “illegal” immigration.

These cases, however, remain only a tiny fraction of those returned to China following Uyghur flight from harsh conditions in East Turkestan. The project will also inevitably boost China’s influence in other Central Asian states, to which it has been actively involved over the past decades in trade and development. With this increased cooperation between the two states comes a much greater likelihood that Uyghurs will suffer at the expense of economic interests.

Not only will the deal embolden both sides economically, there will also be an inevitable impact on the Uyghur people who remain in East Turkestan. With the new development project will come renewed calls for increased Chinese migration to the region to help build the infrastructure necessary for the project. Migration for this purpose will only continue to exacerbate tensions without a clear plan to combat mounting hostility in recent years.

Popular opinion has also been mixed. Despite such a cordial diplomatic relationship between the two states, Chinese popular opinion of Pakistan is low by comparison. A mere 30 percent of Chinese citizens view Pakistan favourably – likely a result of Chinese claims that Uyghur militants have received training there, despite no credible evidence confirming this.

Ultimately, the international community must remain aware of the likely negative impact that the new deal will have on the conditions of Uyghurs in East Turkestan. Despite repeated claims that growth and investment will be the magic bullet to settling such regional instability, a resolution will only emerge if Chinese leaders are able to recognize the need for an equitable share of its benefits.