How China profits from global chaos as Xi Jinping consolidates power

While global attention remains fixed on conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East, Chinese President Xi Jinping is strategically consolidating his power domestically and advancing his global ambitions. This period of international distraction allows Beijing to pursue an increasingly assertive policy both at home and abroad, a move that analysts warn is detrimental to the global order and China's own minorities.

Xi's government is implementing policies aimed at strengthening national identity and integration, framed as "sinicization." A new law on "ethnic unity" promotes the mandatory use of Mandarin Chinese, which Xi claims will improve opportunities for minorities. He uses the metaphor of minorities needing to "hug each other tightly like the seeds of a pomegranate" to build a strong, unified China. However, this approach is met with strong opposition from communities like the Tibetans, Mongols, and Uyghurs, who view it as forced assimilation into a conformist Han-dominated monoculture.

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hug each other tightly like the seeds of a pomegranate

Critics, including foreign policy analyst Simon Tisdall, describe these policies as "ethnic cleansing under another name." The government's actions are seen as suppressing distinct languages, traditions, and identities. The repression in Tibet and the "re-education" camps in Xinjiang are cited as examples of Xi's intensifying campaign against dissent, difference, and diversity. While Western governments have offered muted criticism and human rights groups like Amnesty International have voiced stronger condemnation, the international response has been limited.

The death of Lobga Rangzen, a Tibetan activist who self-immolated in protest outside the UN headquarters in New York, briefly drew international attention. However, such incidents are not new, and the ongoing crackdown continues. The new law, with its severe penalties, even extending to Chinese citizens abroad, provides a legal framework for these assimilationist policies, further entrenching Xi's control and expanding China's influence amidst global turmoil.

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ethnic cleansing under another name