In recent years, Western nations have accused the Chinese government of committing genocide against Uyghurs living in Xinjiang. Although the Chinese government is continuously denying such allegations, the UN Human Rights Council has expressed significant concerns about “re-education camps” that detain millions of Uyghurs. In its 44^th session led by Germany, 39 nations issued a statement condemning human rights violations in Xinjiang. The declaration suggested Uyghurs in the “re-education” camps suffer extreme human rights abuses, including forced sterilization, contraception, mass rape, and forced labor.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that bans imports of products from Xinjiang, exempting only those cases where proof of fair labor could be presented. The U.S. government, along with the EU, U.K., and Canada, imposed sanctions on Chinese government officials accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.  Western clothing brands, such as Nike and H&M, also announced boycotts of Xinjiang cotton due to concerns about forced labor.

U.S. president Joe Biden warned that there will be repercussions on China if the human rights abuses continue. However, China is not the only country that is accused of such acts. Numerous other nations in Africa, Asia, and South America are accused of genocide and human rights abuse, yet the U.S. has not taken strong actions against those nations. Moreover, Chinese officials at the Alaska Summit mentioned how the U.S., too, was at a low point on human rights regarding the treatment of  African Americans. Thus, the U.S.’s decision can be seen as more political: to justify U.S. intervention in China and gain supremacy in the ongoing U.S.-China conflict.

Historically, the United States has always competed against powers that exceeded 40% of the nation’s GDP: Germany in the 40s, the Soviet Union in the 70s, and Japan in the 80s. Now, the target is China. Regardless of political stance and parties, U.S. politicians unequivocally agree that China is the next competing power. This stance has further strengthened due to China’s expansionist movements in the 2010s. There have been increasing tensions in the South China Sea resulting from China’s territorial claims over the entirety of the waters, despite strong protests from Southeast Asian (SEA) nations. Moreover, the Chinese government enforced a new legislation, the Hong Kong National Security Law that brought an end to democracy in Hong Kong. This triggered serious backlash internationally, and such conflicts have increased fear towards Chinese expansionism amongst neighboring countries and in the U.S. government.

In response, the U.S. formed a new cooperative dialogue called the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), which includes India, Australia, and Japan. The Quad members execute regular joint military exercises in the Indo-Pacific regions, where China lays claim to several strategic regions as its “sovereign territory”. Many experts view the Quad as the U.S.'s strategic diplomatic coalition against China — in other words, the Asian NATO. The U.S. shift of foreign policy towards China is also evident in its clear rejection of the “One China” policy.  The most prominent action is the legislation of the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act which promotes Taiwan as a self-governing nation. The U.S. had followed the “One China” policy ever since it first engaged in diplomatic relations with China, but its decision to pass such a law and strengthen ties with Taiwan underlines that U.S.-China relations have reversed from cooperation to aggression.

Every war needs justification, a reason acceptable to the public —  especially in democratic countries like the United States. During the Cold War, the U.S. justified its aggression towards the Soviet Union through its quest to uphold democracy. The Korean War, the Vietnam War, and countless military, diplomatic, political conflicts were executed in the name of freedom and democracy. This time, the human rights violations in Xinjiang is becoming a justification in what seems to be the beginnings of a new Cold War.