(TibetanReview.net, Jul12’20) – China is considering suing German researcher Adrian Zenz and the think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) for libel for allegedly disseminated disinformation about China on the Xinjiang issue, according to China’s party mouthpiece globaltimes.cn Jul 8 and 9.
It is not clear where China will sue, though.
The Jul 8 report alleged that Zenz had “churned out several sensational ‘reports’ on Xinjiang, in which he spread the rumor that over one million Uyghurs were detained there.”
The report also accused the ASPI of having become “the vanguard of slandering campaign against China, spreading the ‘China threat theory’ wantonly, and producing a large number of untrue ‘reports’ on Xinjiang and other issues.”
However, the Xinjiang reports have, however, been confirmed by independent UN human rights experts who raised the issue in their reports to the UN Human Rights Council.
The Jul 9 report cited Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian as saying Jul 9 that he would not be surprised if China sued the two, claiming they had “long been publishing and disseminating disinformation about China.”
Zhao’s comments were reported to have come in response to a question about media reports that China was considering suing rumor-mongering individuals and think tanks for libel.
“I am not surprised if the report is confirmed,” Zhao was quoted as saying.
And he has issued an ominous warning to the two, saying, “I advise the involved parties to turn back and rectify their wrongdoings, as he who is unjust is doomed to destruction.”
