China hosts World Media Summit in Xinjiang amid human rights concerns

China hosted its sixth World Media Summit this week in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in northwestern China. Organizers say more than 500 participants from 208 leading media organizations participated in the event, which was cohosted by state-run Xinhua News Agency and the Xinjiang regional government.

The three-day summit, which ended on Thursday, focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation.”

Chinese media highlighted the potential benefits of global AI collaboration, but the choice of Xinjiang as the event’s venue was criticized by activists concerned about China’s alleged human rights abuses in the region.

Adrian Zenz, director of China studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, told VOA he believes organizers chose Urumqi to draw attention away from human rights concerns in Xinjiang.

“This event appears to be designed to normalize the situation in Xinjiang, making Xinjiang a location for discussing modern technology and developments,” Zenz said in an emailed response.

“As Erkin Tuniyaz [chairman of the region] told the media at the event, ‘Xinjiang is open for business.’ This points to the current strategy of Xinjiang’s [Chinese Communist] party secretary Ma Xingrui to focus on economic development and technological modernization,” Zenz told VOA.

Zenz said that this is “an integral part of Xinjiang’s strategy to present itself as a modern, developed and safe region — showcasing the alleged success of China’s ‘deradicalization’ measures.'”

In Xinjiang, China faces numerous allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities, including mass detentions and forced labor. Since 2017, more than 1 million people have reportedly been detained in internment camps, with human rights groups estimating that more than half a million have been sentenced through unfair trials.

The U.S. has labeled these actions as genocide, imposing sanctions on Chinese officials and companies. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, enacted in 2022, bans products from Xinjiang unless proven free of forced labor.

China denies these claims, asserting that the camps serve as vocational training centers to combat extremism. However, satellite imagery, survivor testimonies and leaked documents contradict these assertions, resulting in widespread global condemnation.

Summit reactions

Originally launched in 2009, the World Media Summit was initiated by the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency, with participation from leading international media organizations such as The Associated Press, Reuters and Russia’s TASS, according to Xinhua.

Some attendees at this year’s session dismissed allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang as “fake news,” according to a Xinhua report.

“Actually, what I found during my visit to Xinjiang was amazing. Because in the media, we hear about fake news about Xinjiang. But when we came to the field and we see the development of Xinjiang, it’s amazing,” Waref Komaiha, president of the Silk Road Institute for Studies and Research, told Xinhua.

Representatives from global media organizations, including Reuters, participated in the summit.

Ling-Sze Gan, Reuters head of media sales for the Asia Pacific, said at the summit’s opening, “We are particularly excited about the potential of generative AI … augmenting our journalists with machines to supercharge their ability to do their jobs.”

Uyghur activists voice concerns

Uyghur activists condemned the summit, calling it an endorsement of China’s policies in Xinjiang.

Mamtimin Ala, president of the Washington-based East Turkistan Government in Exile, or ETGE, which seeks the independence of Xinjiang from China, criticized the involvement of major media organizations.

“It is disheartening that these esteemed media organizations have chosen to partake in a Chinese propaganda event. Their presence provides unwarranted legitimacy to China’s colonial and genocidal policies in East Turkistan,” he said in a statement posted on the organization’s website.

Uyghur activists refer to the region of Xinjiang as East Turkistan, a name tied to the area’s historical and political background. Xinjiang, which means “new frontier” in Chinese, is the official name used by the Chinese government.

Similarly, ETGE’s foreign affairs chief Salih Hudayar voiced concern that the summit could further China’s global propaganda efforts.

“We fear that events like this summit, coupled with China’s geopolitical influence, will lead to an even more extensive campaign of media manipulation and propaganda aimed at transforming global perceptions of its atrocities in East Turkistan,” Hudayar told VOA.