China’s Xinjiang Hosts World Media Summit Amid Human Rights Concerns

China held its sixth World Media Summit in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from October 14-17, attracting over 500 participants from 208 media organizations, VOA reported yesterday.

The event, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the Xinjiang regional government, focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation.”

While Chinese media emphasized the benefits of AI collaboration, critics highlighted the choice of Xinjiang as a venue, citing ongoing human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. Adrian Zenz from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation expressed concerns that the summit aimed to normalize the situation in Xinjiang, presenting it as a modern and developed region.

Uyghur activists condemned the summit, accusing participating media organizations of legitimizing China’s policies. Mamtimin Ala from the East Turkistan Government in Exile criticized their involvement as an endorsement of “colonial and genocidal policies” in the region. Despite these allegations, some attendees dismissed concerns as “fake news,” asserting that Xinjiang’s development is impressive.