The Chinese government organized another tour of Xinjiang for dozens of diplomats from Muslim majority countries in Asia and the Middle East. In all, 32 diplomats visited three cities (Kashgar, Aksu, and Urumqi) last week as part of Beijing’s efforts to counter well-documented accusations that millions of Uyghurs in the region have been forcibly detained.
The Chinese government regularly organizes these highly scripted tours. They typically involve visitors being taken to performances at schools, restaurants, and mosques to see what Beijing calls “the real Xinjiang.”