China, COVID, and Authoritarianism

What the Coronavirus Tells Us about China’s Authoritarian State

During COVID-19, the world witnessed the efficiency—and despotism—of China’s authoritarian rule. Meanwhile, the widespread consequences of China’s censorship are evident. This is nothing new for China. The mass internment of the Uyghurs illustrates how China uses authoritarian rule and censorship to execute government policy with speed and force. 

Evidence is clear that over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are currently detained in mass internment camps. Some argue that the inmates are “sitting ducks” for an uncontrolled outbreak in the camps.

What happened in Xinjiang with mass internment of Uyghurs sheds light on what happened and is happening in the rest of China during the coronavirus crisis.

Amnesty International reported on the human rights abuses in China during the outbreak. While leaders from the World Health Organization (WHO) praised China for its handling of the crisis, and China’s remarkable recovery from a public health disaster remains a model for countries around the world, China’s violation of basic patient confidentiality, widespread discrimination against people from Wuhan, and people’s unlawful limitation to access to essential needs—like HIV medication—was rightfully questioned. The heavy-handed enclosure and lockdown rules in China, as well as the data cover-ups and news censorship, during the outbreak are merely another manifestation of the government’s dishonesty and ruthlessness.

What does the coronavirus and authoritarian governance in China mean for minorities and the most marginalized and vulnerable populations? China’s media insists that the “re-education” centers do not pose risks for an outbreak. Others disagree, saying that it’s only a matter of time, especially considering that 76 confirmed cases were reported there, but it’s hard to know the real numbers. On an ABC television special in Australia, a Chinese diplomat, Wang Xining insisted that the coronavirus was not an issue.    

Although I can’t speak to the situation on the ground right now, or whether or not the coronavirus is spreading in Xinjiang, the point is that China’s authoritarian governance, mass internment camps, and censorship are brutal realities we should all be concerned about.