The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has welcomed the recent G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression (TNR). In a public statement, ETGE called on democratic nations to take immediate and united action against what it describes as the Chinese government’s ongoing global campaign of intimidation and control targeting East Turkistani and Uyghur diaspora communities.
ETGE Warns of China’s Longstanding Global Operations
According to the ETGE, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has spent nearly three decades using its Ministry of State Security (MSS) and United Front Work Department (UFWD) to secretly influence, infiltrate, and weaken East Turkistani independence efforts. These operations often rely on Uyghur and Turkic individuals, who may be used knowingly or unknowingly to carry out China’s plans.
The ETGE stated that China uses a range of tactics such as bribery, defamation, threats, blackmail, and misuse of legal systems (“lawfare”) — to silence voices advocating for East Turkistan’s freedom.
CCP’s Strategy Draws from 1996 Document
The group pointed to CCP Central Document No. 7, issued in 1996, which reportedly instructs Chinese entities to: “Divide the external separatist forces; win over most of them; and alienate the remaining few and combat them.”
According to the ETGE, this directive continues to guide China’s strategy today, helping the regime suppress global support for East Turkistan’s cause through diplomatic pressure, influence operations, and covert manipulation.
Allegations of Espionage Within the Diaspora
The ETGE cited several cases as evidence of China’s global reach. One of the most serious was the April 2025 arrest of Dilshat Reshit, a founding member and long-time spokesperson of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC). Reshit was allegedly exposed as a Chinese agent, which the ETGE says confirms their warnings that Chinese intelligence has embedded operatives in Uyghur organizations abroad.
Salih Hudayar’s Wrongful Arrest Highlights Larger Threat
Another case mentioned was the September 2018 arrest of Salih Hudayar, now serving as the ETGE’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security. Hudayar had joined a peaceful protest outside the White House, urging the U.S. to recognize the Chinese government’s actions in East Turkistan as genocide and to treat East Turkistan as an occupied nation.
His arrest came after a false complaint by someone linked to the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) an organization then led by WUC Chairman Omer Kanat. The charges, which included “terrorism” and “anti-Islamic hate crimes,” were dismissed in 2022 before experts could testify.
“The effort to criminalise my actions and discredit East Turkistan’s National Movement was part of a larger scheme by Chinese operatives and associated individuals to silence pro-independence movements internationally,” said Hudayar.
“It was not merely lawfare; it was transnational repression, executed through diaspora organisations co-opted or compromised by Beijing,” the ETGE stated.
ETGE Calls for Action by Democratic Governments
The ETGE urged democratic countries to take strong, coordinated action to defend East Turkistani and Uyghur communities. Their recommendations include:
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Launching thorough investigations into Chinese infiltration and foreign influence.
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Using legal tools like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and World Court to prosecute China for its actions in East Turkistan.
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Identifying and removing Chinese spies working in academia, advocacy, or civil society groups.
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Ending support for any individual or organization involved in transnational repression.
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Creating laws and policies that protect exile communities and independence movements from harassment and legal abuse.
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Officially recognizing East Turkistan as an occupied nation and working with its legitimate representatives.
ETGE Reaffirms Its Peaceful Approach
Finally, the ETGE restated its commitment to achieving East Turkistan’s independence through peaceful and lawful means. It said it is ready to work with allies to expose and break apart the Chinese government’s networks of repression, surveillance, and influence targeting diaspora communities worldwide.