China Plans to Triple Uyghur Organ-Harvesting Facilities Amid Human Rights Concerns

China Plans to Triple Uyghur Organ-Harvesting Facilities Amid Human Rights Concerns
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China is set to triple the number of organ transplant centers in Xinjiang, raising alarm over the potential forced harvesting of organs from detained Uyghur people, The Telegraph reported. The Xinjiang Health Commission, part of China’s national health authority, plans to open six new medical facilities by 2030, increasing the total in the region to nine. This move has intensified fears about abuses against Uyghurs, a minority group already facing accusations of genocide and mass detention.

Human rights campaigners and experts have long accused Beijing of forcibly harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience, including Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners, sometimes while victims were still alive. An international tribunal in 2019 found that China performed up to 100,000 organ transplants annually—far exceeding official figures—and linked the practice to a lucrative transplant trade worth over $1 billion.

Xinjiang’s population of approximately 26 million has an unusually low organ donation rate compared to other Chinese provinces, making the expansion of transplant centers suspicious. Four of the new centers will be located in Urumqi, the provincial capital, where “Green Passage” lanes expedite organ transport.

Experts warn that the new facilities could facilitate the forced removal and immediate transplantation of organs, reducing transport time and increasing efficiency for wealthy recipients, both domestic and international. Organs such as hearts and livers, the most valuable, can cost up to $100,000.

Human rights advocates call for urgent international oversight, fearing the expansion may enable continued crimes against humanity and genocide under the guise of medical progress. Recent U.S. legislation aims to sanction those involved in this illicit trade.