'Uiguren nicht im palästinensischen Interesse"

Klare Worte fand Palästinenserpräsident in Abbas in China:

During his visit this week to China, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voiced support for China’s policies in the far western region of Xinjiang, where the United Nations has found credible patterns of torture and ill treatment against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs living there.

A joint statement issued shortly after Abbas met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday declared that “Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but anti-violent terrorism, de-radicalization and anti-separatism.” 

“Palestine firmly opposes interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues,” it read.

The statement also declared the Palestinian Authority’s support for China in regards to Taiwan and Hong Kong, recognizing Xi’s government as the “only legal government representing the whole of China.” (...)

Although Palestinians would have reasons to support the Uyghurs, siding with China benefits Palestinians’ national interests, said Erkin Ekrem, an associate professor of China foreign policy at Hacettepe University in Turkey.

The Palestinian Authority is becoming more dependent on China and is in need of Chinese funds, technology and support on the international stage, he said.

“The Uyghur issue does not align with Palestine's interests,” Ekren said. “Therefore, the primary concern here is the national interest of Palestine.”

“The benefits they can gain from China outweigh the gains of supporting the Uyghurs,” said Ekrem. “In this kind of situation, the Uyghur issue, despite the fact that the Uyghurs are Muslims, is not a priority for them.”