China defends Thai-Sino repatriation of Uyghurs, criticises US travel ban

The United States has no right to interfere with Thai-Sino cooperation, including the repatriation of Chinese nationals detained in Bangkok for a decade, according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

Apparently referring to Uyghurs, Mao said the 40 Chinese nationals who, “under the wrong influence,” had illegally crossed the border and ended up stranded in Thailand for about a decade.

“The Chinese government has the obligation and responsibility to protect its citizens, help them reunite with their families and enable them to resume normal lives,” she said during a press briefing.

The Chinese government never refers to Uyghurs by name, preferring to call them Chinese nationals.

Thailand’s deportation of the group late last month has drawn condemnation from the West and international rights organisations, who claim that the returnees will face torture by Chinese authorities.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in response to the repatriations, issued US entry bans on Thai officials involved in the matter.

Mao said, “China and Thailand, working together as two sovereign nations to crack down on human smuggling and other cross-border crimes, are acting in accordance with the domestic laws of both countries, as well as international law and common practices.”

The US has no right to interfere in such cooperation, the spokeswoman said.

She added that China strongly condemns all ill-intentioned vilification and “illegal” sanctions against China and Thailand and firmly opposes the US for manipulating Xinjiang-related issues under the pretext of protecting human rights, interfering in China's domestic affairs and disrupting normal law enforcement cooperation between China and relevant countries.

"China will continue to enhance communication and coordination with relevant countries, on the basis of mutual respect and equal-footed consultation, protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens and work towards stronger international law enforcement cooperation," Mao said.

By politicizing this issue, the US is, in essence, applying double standards and trying to suppress others.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the removal of over 270,000 noncitizens to 192 different countries during the 2024 fiscal year, marking the highest number of deportations since 2014.

"On the one hand, the US engages in indiscriminate deportations of illegal immigrants yet, on the other, it points fingers at and smears other countries' legitimate law enforcement cooperation, imposes sanctions and pressures others," said the spokeswoman, describing the US actions as “typical bullying."