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Thailand’s Secret Uyghur Deportation Sparks Global Outrage, Strengthens China’s Diplomatic Hand
The clandestine deportation of dozens of Uyghurs from Thailand to China has ignited international condemnation, marking a diplomatic victory for Beijing while dealing a blow to both the United States and the United Nations. For years, both had warned that returning these men to China would expose them to torture, imprisonment, and persecution.
The 40 Uyghur men fled China in 2014, eventually arriving in Thailand, where they were arrested and spent over a decade in detention, trapped in legal limbo. In the early hours of Thursday, they were reportedly taken in trucks to an airport in Bangkok and placed on a plane bound for China. Later, Thai officials confirmed the deportation, stating they had acted on an official request from Beijing to return “40 ethnic Uyghur Chinese nationals.”
US and UN Condemn Thailand’s Decision
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long advocated for Uyghur rights, had lobbied against their deportation. He strongly condemned the move, emphasizing that Uyghurs in China face persecution, forced labor, and torture, with no access to fair legal proceedings.
The US and other nations have classified China’s actions against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang as “genocide”, citing widespread reports of mass surveillance, forced labor, arbitrary detention, and severe restrictions on movement—allegations that Beijing denies.
Rubio urged governments worldwide to protect Uyghurs seeking asylum and to refuse to return them to China, where their safety and freedom are at risk.
UN Human Rights Chief: Deportation Violates International Law
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk criticized Thailand’s actions, stating the deportations violated international agreements that prohibit returning individuals to countries where they risk torture or inhumane treatment. He noted that the UN had repeatedly called on Thai authorities to respect their international obligations but was deeply disappointed that they ignored these warnings.
China Defends Its Actions, Dismisses Criticism
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry lashed out at international criticism, accusing “some countries and organizations” of fabricating lies about Xinjiang and using the Uyghur issue for political manipulation. A spokesperson dismissed claims of genocide and forced labor as “the lie of the century”.
Meanwhile, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that 40 “Chinese nationals” had been deported from Thailand for illegal entry, carefully omitting any reference to their Uyghur ethnicity.
Thailand’s Role and History of Deporting Uyghurs
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra initially refused to confirm the deportations. However, by Friday, she acknowledged that she had been aware of the decision all along but could not publicly address it due to national security and diplomatic protocols. She revealed that Chinese officials had assured her during a February visit to Beijing that the deported Uyghurs would be safe upon their return to China.
Thailand, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, does not legally recognize asylum seekers. The country has a history of forcing refugees across its borders and deporting dissidents, often at the request of powerful foreign governments.
This is not the first time Thailand has faced backlash for deporting Uyghurs. In 2015, over 100 Uyghurs were forcibly returned to China, triggering global outrage. To this day, the fate of those individuals remains unknown, according to UN experts.
With this latest deportation, Thailand has once again aligned itself with China’s policies, prioritizing diplomatic relations over human rights concerns, despite widespread international criticism.
Taiwan Detains Chinese Cargo Ship Amid Investigation Into Undersea Cable Damage
Taiwan Detains Chinese Cargo Ship Amid Investigation Into Undersea Cable Damage
Taiwan’s coast guard detained a cargo ship and its Chinese crew on Tuesday, launching an investigation into whether the vessel deliberately severed an undersea internet cable, marking the latest possible disruption to the island’s communications network.
The Togo-flagged vessel, identified as the Hong Tai, was suspected of damaging a submarine cable linking Taiwan to its outlying Penghu Islands. According to a statement from Taiwan’s coast guard, the ship was operated by a crew of eight Chinese nationals.
The Hong Tai had been lingering near the undersea cable off Taiwan’s southwestern coast since Saturday evening and had ignored multiple radio calls from Taiwan’s authorities, the statement said.
In the early hours of Tuesday, just after the vessel dropped anchor, Taiwan’s largest telecom provider, Chunghwa Telecom, detected a disconnection in the cable. Acting swiftly, the coast guard intercepted, boarded, and escorted the vessel to Tainan Port for further investigation.
Possible "Gray Zone" Tactics Under Scrutiny
Taiwanese authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a Chinese "gray zone operation"—a form of coercive or subversive action that falls short of outright warfare.
“Whether this was a deliberate act of sabotage or an unfortunate accident remains under investigation,” the coast guard stated, adding that prosecutors are handling the case under national security guidelines.
Beijing Dismisses Allegations as Political Manipulation
China has rejected Taipei’s concerns, accusing Taiwan’s government of politicizing the incident.
Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, downplayed the situation, arguing that damage to undersea cables is a routine maritime incident, occurring over 100 times a year globally.
“The facts and liability have yet to be determined, but Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are deliberately exaggerating the situation for political gain,” Zhu said, asserting that such efforts would not gain public support.
Rising Concerns Over Repeated Damage to Taiwan's Undersea Cables
This is not the first time Taiwan has dealt with suspicious damage to its telecommunications cables.
- In January, Taiwanese officials suggested that a Chinese-linked cargo vessel may have been responsible for cutting an international undersea cable off Taiwan’s northern coast.
- In 2023, Taiwan accused Chinese ships of damaging cables connecting the main island to the outlying Matsu Islands, leading to an internet blackout. However, officials stopped short of calling these incidents intentional sabotage.
The recurring damage to undersea communication lines has heightened concerns in Taiwan’s security circles over gray zone activities, which could disrupt internet access and hinder communication with the outside world. These fears are compounded by China’s growing military and political pressure on Taiwan, as Beijing continues to assert its claim over the self-governed island, vowing to reunify it—by force if necessary.
Global Implications of Undersea Cable Disruptions
Taiwan is not the only nation facing concerns over undersea infrastructure security.
- Several global incidents in recent years have raised alarms, including Chinese ships being linked to two separate cable disruptions in the Baltic Sea, both of which remain under investigation.
- According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, more than 95% of global internet traffic relies on undersea cables, with approximately 1.3 million kilometers of cabling supporting an estimated $10 trillion in daily international trade.
With growing tensions between Taiwan and China, incidents like these underscore the vulnerabilities of undersea communication networks and their strategic significance in modern geopolitics.
China’s Biotech Industry Disrupts Global Pharmaceuticals with Breakthrough Innovation
China’s DeepSeek AI made global headlines with its unexpected innovation at an incredibly low cost. However, this disruptive trend extends beyond technology, with the biotech sector quietly undergoing a major transformation.
In September, a relatively unknown Chinese biotech company, Akeso, stunned the pharmaceutical industry with its new lung cancer drug, Ivonescimab. The drug demonstrated superior performance to Keytruda, the best-selling cancer treatment developed by Merck, which has generated over $130 billion in sales.
According to clinical trial data released at the World Conference on Lung Cancer, patients treated with Ivonescimab went 11.1 months without tumor progression, compared to 5.8 months for Keytruda. The trial was conducted in China, but its results sparked interest worldwide.
Following this revelation, shares of Summit Therapeutics, a California-based company that partnered with Akeso, more than doubled to a record high. Summit holds exclusive rights to commercialize Ivonescimab in North America and Europe, marking a significant milestone for Chinese biotech on the global stage.
While experts viewed this as a breakthrough for China’s pharmaceutical industry, it initially went unnoticed outside the field. However, DeepSeek’s AI advancements earlier this year brought renewed attention to China’s growing influence in innovation.
China’s Biotech Industry Gains Global Recognition
Akeso’s CEO, Michelle Xia, expressed confidence in China’s rising role in global biotechnology, stating, “The Chinese biotech industry will play an increasingly significant role worldwide.”
In a statement to CNN, Akeso called the development “an incredibly exciting moment”, adding that its success was driven by deep expertise in disease biology and protein engineering, along with China’s fast-paced development cycle and access to top-tier talent.
From Copycat Drugs to Cutting-Edge Innovation
Until the 1980s, China’s pharmaceutical sector was dominated by state-owned enterprises. For decades, Chinese biotech firms primarily focused on producing replicas of existing medications, known as “me-too” drugs.
However, over the past decade, these companies have shifted toward developing original, advanced drugs that compete directly with Western pharmaceuticals. They have also secured multi-billion-dollar licensing agreements with major international firms.
- AstraZeneca signed a $1.92 billion deal with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group to develop cardiovascular treatments.
- Merck entered into a $2 billion partnership with China’s Hansoh Pharmaceutical for an experimental weight-loss drug.
According to Rebecca Liang, a pharmaceuticals analyst at AB Bernstein, “People knew China’s biotech industry was expanding quickly, but few considered it a serious competitor to leading US firms. That is now changing.”
A research report from HSBC Qianhai Securities indicates that China is evolving into a global innovation hub. The number of biotech licensing agreements surged from 46 in 2017 to over 200 in 2023, with total deal values increasing from $4 billion to $57 billion in the same period.
Similarly, Mergermarket data showed that pharmaceutical transactions worth $50 million or more involving Chinese firms grew by nearly 30% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The US Market and Regulatory Challenges
Cui Cui, managing director of healthcare research at Jefferies, credits China’s strong government support, foreign investments, and growing biotech talent pool for its rapid progress.
“In the past, Chinese biotech firms were dismissed as mere copycats, but in the future, they could rival the world’s top pharmaceutical companies,” Cui told CNN.
However, despite its international success, China’s biotech sector faces skepticism at home. Many Chinese consumers remain doubtful about the quality of domestically produced drugs, particularly generic alternatives to patented medications.
Last month, public distrust over generic drug quality sparked widespread debate, prompting an official investigation into the matter. Although China’s health regulators defended the safety of these drugs, skepticism persists.
Several Beijing residents interviewed by CNN admitted they were unfamiliar with Akeso’s new drug and preferred imported pharmaceuticals. “I tend to choose more expensive medicine because I believe higher cost means better quality,” said Beijing resident Gu Zhihao.
US Regulatory Hurdles and Global Expansion Plans
US investors and regulators have previously raised concerns over clinical trial data from China, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejecting some Chinese-developed drugs due to trial methodology concerns.
Although Ivonescimab has already been approved in China for certain lung cancer patients, it is still years away from being available in the United States. A global clinical trial is expected to begin later this year, which could further validate its efficacy.
If successful, this would further solidify China’s position as a leader in biotech innovation, proving that its pharmaceutical industry is not only growing—but reshaping the global market.