Sweden’s bias clear in its Xinjiang criticism: China Daily editorial

Sweden’s decision early this week to grant refugee status to all Uygurs and people of any other ethnic group from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region ridicules the international convention on refugees and will undoubtedly worsen its already tense relationship with China.

The UN Refugee Agency defines refugees as those who have been forced to flee their own countries because of persecution, war or violence. Those criteria, if followed to the letter, without any ulterior political motive, would mean no applicants from Xinjiang are eligible for such status.

By describing Uygurs in Xinjiang as victims of what it perceives as China’s oppression, Stockholm is trying to name and shame Beijing, which it sees — through its biased glasses — as a human rights violator.

The Swedish Migration Agency has cited “far-reaching repression” against Uygurs in Xinjiang as the reason behind Sweden’s ill-conceived move. But it is merely repeating the false accusations China-bashers have already made, especially by demonizing the vocational education and training centers the Chinese government has set up in the region for deradicalization purposes.

As part of its fight against extremism and terrorism in Xinjiang, such centers, established in accordance with the law, have proved effective in not only equipping the trainees with the necessary skills and knowledge for a job and a better life, but also in helping eradicate the influence of terrorism and extremism so as to nip terrorist activities in the bud. As a result, Xinjiang has become much safer and more stable.

Sweden must stop confounding right with wrong on Xinjiang. Since those who habitually criticize its measures in Xinjiang do so only through hearsay, China has invited those concerned to visit the region and see what is really happening for themselves.

And rather than pointing an accusing finger at China, Sweden should first look to establish order in its own house. There have been reports about the arrest of dozens of Swedish citizens in Syria who left Sweden to fight for the Islamic State, some being high-level members of the terror organization. Also, its self-professed failure to handle an influx of refugees has already caused a policy shift in its asylum regime.

Sino-Swedish relations have been on a downward spiral for a while because of the confrontational stance Sweden has adopted against China on human rights.

While Chinese people have always kept in mind that Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and they have long held friendly feelings toward the Swedish people, there are those in Sweden who condescendingly insist on telling China what it should do.

Unless those people in Sweden change their tune, they risk doing irreparable damage to bilateral ties.