Advocacy groups urge Xi Jinping to address human rights concerns ahead of US visit

Advocacy groups focused on human rights, democracy and religious freedom have called on Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping to take a series of actions before his scheduled visit to Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2026, according to a press release highlighted by the World Uyghur Congress (WUC).

The WUC cited an open letter signed by a coalition of organisations that urged Xi to release prisoners of conscience and human‑rights defenders, end transnational repression and collective punishment, and commit to legal reforms prior to his arrival in the United States.

Signatories said they had documented, and in some cases personally experienced, widespread and systematic human‑rights violations since Xi assumed power in late 2012. They alleged that these actions violated China’s domestic and international legal obligations, and raised concerns about policies aimed at erasing the culture, identity and language of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other communities.

The letter also highlighted alleged violations of Hong Kong’s civic culture and free media, and cited rights‑defence activities by faith leaders, feminists, journalists, lawyers, public‑health experts and other activists across China.

New legislation, including the 2026 Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, was singled out as contrary to China’s obligations under international human‑rights law. The signatories also referenced United Nations human‑rights experts’ concerns about arbitrary detention, describing the scope and scale of such detentions as potentially constituting crimes against humanity.

In addition to the broad demands, the letter listed individuals whose release the organisations said had been sought by U.S. lawmakers or who had strong ties to the United States. The list includes Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Ekpar Asat, Chow Hang‑tung, Rahile Dawut, Ding Jiaxi, Dong Yuyu, Pastor Gao Quanfu, Gao Zhen, Gao Zhisheng, the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Niyima, Go Sherab Gyatso, Albert Ho, Jimmy Lai, Lee Cheuk‑yan, Min Zin, Ilham Tohti, Lobsang Tsering, Wang Bingzhang, Pastor Wang Yi, Yang Maodong and leaders of the Zion Church.

The organisations also urged Xi to announce an intention to repeal or amend laws passed during his leadership that they allege breach international human‑rights obligations, specifically citing the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law and the 2026 Ethnic Unity and Progress Law. They called for confirmation that individuals living outside China, including the 14th Dalai Lama, would be allowed to travel to China to reunite safely with family members and communities.

Finally, the signatories requested that Xi publicly affirm before arriving in the United States that members of his delegation and their associates based in the U.S. would refrain from transnational repression and collective punishment in response to protests and acts of resistance surrounding his visit. They warned that without such steps, the visit could deepen global public concern about China’s human‑rights record.

Concluding the letter, the advocacy organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working on behalf of the communities, principles and laws underlying their work and to making recommendations aimed at advancing human rights.

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Article and image source: hongkongherald.com