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Chinese Projection of Power
Aside from domestic harassment, China flexes the muscles of its long arm reach by pressuring governments around the world to return fleeing Uyghurs for detention and threatening foreign powers from individually condemning China with potential threats to investments in China.
To escape China is not an end to their fear as China's influence is long and powerful. China has called upon various authoritarian nations such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Thailand and has requested dozens more to return Uyghurs that have escaped back to China for detention. Egypt, one of the main areas where Uyghurs have escaped to, has complied with China's extradition request and sent back approximately 90 Uyghurs to Chinese custody. Some of which were students at Al-Azhar, the most prestigious university of the Sunni Muslim World, and were arrested by Egyptian authorities with the reason that the Chinese government had designated them as terrorists.
Coincidentally, many of the nations that complied with China's extradition orders are also authoritarian governments and/or are part of China's Belt and Road initiative, which is a program that seeks to adapt the Silk Road into a modern form by China building infrastructure and ports in select regions to increase economic ties. In an effort to gain such Chinese investment, various nations, including Egypt, are obeying China's wishes.
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However, for those who are not
accessible abroad, the Chinese
government has continued to harass
and collect information about them
from their families and about their
families still in China. Chinese
authorities have used the families of
external Uyghurs who remain in China
to intimidate and silence those
questioning the whereabouts of their
relatives and criticism of Xinjiang
policies. In addition, they have
threatened them with punishments of
their families to encourage a return to China for internment. Uyghurs abroad have reported Chinese authorities have done this in the form of making family members call about an improved life in China and encouraging their return.
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