China In Context

Should there be a boycott of China over human rights issues in Xinjiang?

Mar 29, 2022

14:28

The plight of the people who live in the Chinese province of Xinjiang is a matter of heated debate at the United Nations, in parliaments and on social media. It is here that human rights abuses against the Uyghurs are taking place, according to the United States, the European Union and the UK - all of which have responded with sanctions on Chinese officials. Shoppers are also drawn into the debate, through a campaign to discourage people from buying clothes made from cotton which has been picked or processed by Uyghur prisoners. But do sanctions or boycotts bring about a change which benefits the Uyghurs? Professor Darren Byler, an expert on Chinese Central Asia, who teaches at the Simon Fraser University in Canada, considers the ethics. The podcast is hosted by Duncan Bartlett, Editor of Asian Affairs magazine.

China In Context: Episode 58
Broadcast date: 29 March, 2022

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SOAS China Institute (SCI)

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Music credit: Sappheiros / CC BY 3.0