In a disturbing display of state-sponsored propaganda, China has recently sent Uyghur performers to European cities to promote a misleading image of life in Xinjiang. Between April 10 and 13, videos circulated on social media showing Uyghur artists singing and dancing in public spaces like Paris’s Eiffel Tower and Budapest’s Heroes’ Square. These performances were orchestrated by the Chinese government as part of its “Xinjiang Is a Wonderful Place” campaign—a global effort to deny the ongoing repression of the Uyghur people.
The performers, members of the Xinjiang-based Twelve Muqam Ensemble, were showcased in carefully choreographed routines designed to suggest that Uyghur culture is thriving under Chinese rule. But for Uyghurs in exile and human rights advocates, this image rings hollow.
It is the first time since 2017 that China has sent a Uyghur troupe abroad for such public displays. Similar performances were staged last year in Turkey and the UAE, and even virtually by the Chinese Embassy in Washington. The goal is clear: to whitewash mounting international evidence of crimes against humanity and genocide, as recognized by the U.S. and over ten other countries.
Uyghur activists have condemned the campaign as cultural exploitation. Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, stated, “It’s the height of hypocrisy for China to showcase Uyghur culture abroad while destroying it at home.” She cited mass detentions, mosque demolitions, religious repression, and the silencing of Uyghur artists as examples of Beijing’s brutality.
China’s strategy of using forced performances to project harmony is not cultural celebration—it’s propaganda. Europe and the broader international community must not be complicit in this charade. Cultural performance cannot mask cultural genocide.