Thread by @AkshayaSays

THREAD:
A lot of people talk about US turning its back on UN & broader multilateral system. Wondering what that looks like in practice? Check out this trip that the Chinese delegation to the UN (@Chinamission2un) has planned for Security Council (1/7)
hrw.org/news/2018/11/1…

Beijing, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council, has planned the trip to showcase the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou & to spotlight its contributions to UN peacekeeping around the world.

Such glitzy destinations are a far cry from usual UNSC trips (2/7)

This year, Council has gone to DRC, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar where they've met with some of the world's most vulnerable (refugees, victims of sexual violence). (3/7)

To be fair, they've also gone down to Washington DC for lunch at the White House organized by @USUN in January 2018, and stopped by Kuwait City during a trip organized by @KuwaitMissionUN (4/7)

But what's worrying & truly shameful is Council diplomats seem content to take the trip without addressing the elephant in the room: Chinese government’s repression of 13 million Turkic Muslims, one million of whom are arbitrarily detained in “political education camps.” (5/7)

But traveling to China in 2018 and skipping Xinjiang feels akin to visiting Cape Town at the height of apartheid and ignoring prisoners on Robben Island. (6/7)

This trip represents a key test of the idea that great powers can use the fig leaf of sovereignty to get away with atrocities without consequences.

Will Council diplomats go along with the charade or use their trip to draw attention to this profound injustice? (7/7)