BEIJING: Beijing has warned its citizens in Turkey to “be more vigilant,” as bilateral tensions rise after strong Turkish criticism of China’s treatment of its minority Uighur community.
Nearly one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities are being held in extrajudicial detention in camps in Xinjiang, according to a UN panel of experts, where most of China’s more than 10 million Uighurs live.
Beijing has admitted to placing people in “vocational education centers” to prevent radical Islamism. Critics however allege Uighurs in the camps are being brainwashed in a massive campaign to enforce conformity with Chinese society and abandon Islam.
The northwestern Xinjiang region — home to some 10 million Uighurs — has long suffered from violent unrest, which China claims is orchestrated by an organized “terrorist” movement seeking the region’s independence.
Turkey, which has its own significant Uighur population, said on Saturday China’s treatment of the Uighurs was “a great embarrassment for humanity.”
It also called on the international community and the UN “to take effective steps to end the human tragedy in Xinjiang region.”
China’s embassy to Turkey wrote on its website: “We call once more on Chinese citizens in Turkey and Chinese tourists going to Turkey to be more vigilant and pay attention to their personal security as well as the security of their belongings.”
The warning was posted on Sunday, the day after the declarations by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Violent anti-China protests against the county’s treatment of the Uighurs have previously broken out in Turkey. In 2015, militant Turkish nationalists burnt a Chinese flag in front of China’s embassy in Ankara.
A popular Chinese restaurant in Istanbul also had its windows smashed and a group of South Korean tourists who were visiting the city was attacked because they were mistaken for Chinese.
China warns its citizens in Turkey to ‘be more vigilant’
China warns its citizens in Turkey to ‘be more vigilant’
- Nearly one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities are being held in extrajudicial detention in camps in Xinjiang
- Beijing has admitted to placing people in “vocational education centers” to prevent extremism
‘Speed over scale’: Saudi Arabia positioned to shape future of industry, say experts
- WEF p anelists also discussed how global industrial forces are evolving
DAVOS: Saudi Arabia is primed to position itself at the forefront of the global industrial transformation, leveraging its scale, strategic vision, and competitive energy infrastructure to become a leader in sectors such as clean industries and advanced technologies, experts said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rayan Fayez, deputy CEO at NEOM, highlighted how the Kingdom’s industrial city, Oxagon, is driving diversification and clean manufacturing.
The city is already home to several key sectors, including green hydrogen, renewable manufacturing and AI data centers.
The world’s largest green hydrogen project, a collaboration with ACWA Power and Air Products, is 90 percent complete and expected to be operational by 2027, Fayez said.
Renewable manufacturing partnerships are also taking off, with Chinese companies establishing solar and wind production outside China for the first time.
Fayez highlighted that NEOM’s success rests on four core competitive advantages: digital infrastructure, abundant renewable energy, ready-to-use land and strategic location.
“The location is not only strategic for the Kingdom, but also in connection to the rest of the world through the port of NEOM,” he said, adding that the city is poised to serve as a hub for both domestic and export-oriented industries.
Panelists also discussed how global industrial forces are evolving.
Frederico Torti from the WEF highlighted the structural volatility in supply chains, driven by geopolitics, technological change, natural disasters, cybersecurity risks and talent shortages.
He highlighted the importance of agility, collaboration and holistic operational transformation.
“The only way to make this happen is through collaboration, dialogue, and cooperation across public and private sectors,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s strategic position, combined with its low-cost energy and infrastructure readiness, make it a magnet for industrial investment, Torti said.
“Countries that invest in the right factors will attract manufacturing investments and create value for the next decade,” he said, pointing to NEOM as a prime example of this approach.
ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli highlighted why Saudi Arabia is a compelling market for gigascale renewable energy and water desalination projects.
“In a world of uncertainty, Saudi Arabia is a country where you can really smell the hope,” he said.
“It speaks with China and the US, with Russia and Ukraine, with Europe and Southeast Asia and Africa, and looks to partner to solve problems and to develop domestically but also abroad.”
ACWA Power is now the largest water desalination company in the world, with operations across the Middle East and new projects in Azerbaijan, Senegal and China, he added.
Arcelli highlighted the water-energy nexus, where low-cost renewable power enables large-scale, sustainable desalination.
“Countries that are moving faster in these sectors are typically countries that will enjoy higher economic growth,” he said.
Looking ahead, panelists highlighted that the future of competitiveness will rely less on scale and more on speed and collaboration.
“You cannot be good at everything,” Arcelli said. “It’s going to be more about cooperation. It’s an economy of speed, not economy of scale anymore to thrive and be the best around.”
Torti reiterated the need for cross-border partnerships and dialogue, adding: “Open up, connect and make best use of forums like this to get different perspectives on solving problems. Collaboration is invaluable.”
Fayez added that investing in talent remains a critical element to drive industrial transformation in the Kingdom as well as globally, alongside infrastructure and technology.
