The Xinjiang Controversy at the United Nations

Since July 2019, Xinjiang has been a topic of debate for the United Nations eight times. Each time, opposing joint statements supported and criticized China’s position in Xinjiang. In total, 86 countries have at one point signed a joint statement supporting China’s position in Xinjiang while 56 countries have at one point signed a joint statement criticizing China’s position in Xinjiang. Using 2022 population estimates, the pro-China camp comprises 3.93 billion people or 49.3% of the world total (of whom 2.50 billion or 31.4% of the world total are outside China), while the anti-China camp comprises 1.26 billion people or 15.8% of the world total.

In addition, some countries have separately supported or criticized China’s position in Xinjiang. This raises the tally to at least 98 countries supportive of China and 57 countries criticizing China. Notably, of the 57 countries that condemned China the vast majority (44) voted against a resolution “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at the 76th General Assembly on November 4, 2022.

In each of the eight occasions of opposing joint statements, the countries supporting China outnumbered the countries criticizing China. In the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council lasting from February 22 to March 24, 2021, critics of China’s Xinjiang policy produced no joint statement, while Cuba delivered a 64-country joint statement, with State Councilor Wang Yi later reporting that more than 80 countries supported China’s position in Xinjiang. Likewise, at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council from September 12 to October 7, 2022, Pakistan delivered a joint statement on behalf of 68 countries with no directly opposing statement. (However, the same session voted on October 6 to reject a US-sponsored motion to debate the human rights situation in Xinjiang, by 19 to 17 with 11 abstentions.)

The joint statement battles are as follow:

• 41st Session of the Human Rights Council, July 2019: 50-22

• 74th General Assembly, October 2019: 54-24

• 44th Session of the Human Rights Council, July 2020: 46-27

• 75th General Assembly, October 2020: 45-39

• 47th Session of the Human Rights Council, June 2021: 68-42

• 50th Session of the Human Rights Council, June 2022: 69-47

• 76th General Assembly Third Committee, October 2022: 66-50

• 77th General Assembly Third Committee, October 2023: 72-51

Accounting for other joint statements and individual statements either expressly supporting China’s position in Xinjiang or opposing the politicization of human rights, the tallies of the two “camps” result in:

• 74th General Assembly: 56-25

• 75th General Assembly: 67-40

Table of Countries Supporting China on Xinjiang

Red = Deliverer of the Joint Statement

Blue = Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, a 17-country group formed in March 2021

Countries that supported China on its Xinjiang policy in a separate statement*

Countries that supported China by issuing a separate statement opposing the politicization of human rights**

Table of Countries Criticizing China on Xinjiang

Red = Deliverer of the Joint Statement

Orange = NATO

Country that criticized China on Xinjiang in a separate statement*

Later withdrew**