Late last month, in a stunning display of frustration, people in multiple cities across China took to the streets to protest “zero Covid” policies. The calls to “jiefeng” — release the lockdown — evolved quickly into something more like calls for “jiefang” — liberation — as protesters shouted explicitly for freedom, free speech and democracy.

The United Nations report into Xinjiang, which found that the Chinese government’s actions “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity” is likely to place further strains on the relationship between China and the West, according to diplomatic analysts.

Beijing bluntly rejected the findings, which were released on Wednesday, the last day of Michelle Bachelet’s tenure as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner released a long-awaited report Wednesday detailing the Chinese government's "serious human rights violations" in Xinjiang, which the U.S. has deemed a genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.

Driving the news: The report, which was released minutes before UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's tenure ended, states that the Chinese government's actions "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity."

China has committed "serious human rights violations" against Uyghur Muslims in its northwestern region of Xinjiang, which may amount to "crimes against humanity" according to a long-awaited report released Wednesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The detailed 45-page report, published just minutes before outgoing commissioner Michelle Bachelet's term in office came to an end at midnight Geneva time, had been repeatedly delayed, and its release vehemently opposed by China.

The United Nations’ human rights chief, whose tenure ended Wednesday, failed to hold China accountable for the genocide it is perpetrating against the minority Uyghur ethnic group, former UN Ambassador Andrew Bremberg told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Representative Jim Banks (R., Ind.) will host basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom at the Republican Study Committee lunch this Wednesday, Politico Playbook reported on Monday.

Kanter Freedom will reportedly push for new legislation from Banks dealing with Uyghur labor in the Xinjiang region of China. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have labeled China’s treatment of Uyghur citizens a “genocide,” with reports of detention camps and potential forced labor emerging from the region.

Days after China said a visit by the U.N. human rights chief had put to rest "lies and rumors” about the situation in Xinjiang, the State Department on Thursday restated the U.S. assessment that Beijing is committing “genocide” against minorities in the far-western region.

Releasing the department’s annual report on international religious freedom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Rashad Hussain both underlined accusations that China hotly disputes.

Human rights activists, labor leaders and others urged the Biden administration on Friday to put its weight behind a coming ban on products made with forced labor in the Xinjiang region of China, saying slavery and coercion taint company supply chains that run through the region and China more broadly.

Fireworks of red and gold faded to give way to 2,008 performers beating the fou – an ancient percussion instrument – while chanting excerpts from Confucius’ Analects.

It was the night of August 8, 2008, the opening ceremony for China’s first Olympic Games. Beijing was not only eager to flaunt China’s rich history and culture but also its brand new stadiums, its ability to run an international event smoothly and its talented athletes who went on to win more gold medals than any other nation.

Hosting the Winter Olympics during a pandemic was always going to test the Chinese government, by putting its ever-growing ability to exercise political control and virus containment on a collision course with its enthusiasm for international prestige and status.