(Originally posted Oct 24, 2018) The heightened coordination of this propaganda campaign is very interesting to watch. The trade war didn’t have the desired effect so they’re going for the old divide and conquer method along religious and ethnic lines. Trying to repeat the Syria model in China is going to fail.
Despite its delusions, US imperialism is extremely bad at organizing opposition when faced with an organized adversary. If it didn’t work in Syria, it sure as hell isn’t going to work against the CPC who have worked for years on the grassroots level in Xinjiang.
US imperialism is only good at picking off weakly organized, young, or materially deficient opposition. The CPC is a highly organized, veteran political organization, with all the material needed to conduct counter insurgency.
Western China is of course the most geographically challenging region to govern, but infrastructure across China is on another level from even five or ten years ago. Supply lines can be reinforced easily and any insurgency would be hard pressed to spread beyond small localities.
The goal of US imperialism in Xinjiang is to disrupt the economic corridor between China and Central Asia. Namely, they want to disrupt the Belt and Road Initiative project connecting China with Pakistan (CPEC).
In the same way that control over Ukraine is a major strategic objective for US imperialism in Eastern Europe against Russia, control over Central Asia is central to US imperialism strategy to contain China’s westward economic/political growth.
Xinjiang is geostrategically very important: it connects Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. Its importance can be likened to the Caucus region or the Levant as far as political pressure points.
Xinjiang is bordered by mountain ranges that create an excellent natural boundary defensively, but make trade difficult. Belt and Road aims to alleviate that latter issue, giving these neighbors economic opportunity that doesn’t involve the US.
Even more potential: a trade route that fully links Western China through Pakistan and into the Arabian Sea could further expand trade routes and diversify trade volume. Then there’s opportunities to further connect with the Caspian.
Also, Xinjiang is resource rich and is a top natural gas supplier. Obviously the US knows this and thinks there’s an opening to cause political strife in Western China, disrupt the BRI and mess with it’s energy and material base. But it’s not going to work.
Here’s a great thread on what’s actually happening on the ground in Xinjiang. TLDR: the CPC is doing epic levels of community organizing and economic development in the region and the US is fomenting insurgency:
Izak Novák 