Xi’s Show of Olympic Unity Masks Fight Over Ethnic Assimilation
- Companies face risks doing business in all parts of China
- Xi’s government is seeking to create a single Chinese identity
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China sent a clear message of defiance against Western accusations of genocide in Xinjiang by featuring a Uyghur skier to kick off the Winter Olympics. But more subtly, the event also reinforced broader ethnic-minority policies that could further stoke tensions with the West.
Apart from the symbolism of a beaming 20-year-old Dinigeer Yilamujiang as one of two final torchbearers, another scene captured the essence of President Xi Jinping’s push to forge a common identity among minority groups: At one point, members of all 56 government-recognized ethnicities passed China’s flag to each other in an act of patriotic harmony.