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MURRAY WILSON / Things
Massey University said it would consider official advice on Xinjiang. When she learned from official advice that the activities in Xiniiang could be seen as endorsement of well-documented human rights abuses, she declined to comment.
A Chinese institution with which Massey University collaborates describes itself as serving a paramilitary force that is now under sanctions for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Massey has denied that his ties to Shihezi University constitute a direct connection to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC).
The XPCC is subject to US sanctions for alleged abuse, including mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse.
The Shihezi University website describes that the university is based on the XPCC and adheres to its spirit.
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Massey said last week that government agencies would draw his attention to any problematic activity.
Massey says that Shihezi’s collaborations are largely related to agriculture and agricultural science. This 2015 meeting was attended by people from Massey, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Xinjiang Academy of Agriculture and Recovery Sciences.
“If concerns remain, we will comply with all guidelines or instructions from the relevant government agency,” Massey said in a statement.
However, it has emerged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has concerns about the matter.
The ministry said its concerns include what it calls credible reports of mass arrests and other large-scale human rights violations in Xinjiang.
“We encourage all New Zealand companies operating in Xinjiang to be aware of these well-documented abuses and how their actions could be interpreted as endorsement of them,” MFAT said.
FAIR USE
The plight of Uighurs in facilities like this detention or re-education camp has received worldwide scrutiny.
But Massey has since refused to provide anyone to be interviewed on the matter, or explain how his ties to Shihezi do not amount to ties to the XPCC.
before Stuff Informed to Massey of the MFAT council, New Zealand joined 27 other countries in June in expressing concern about arbitrary detention and restrictions against Uighurs and other Xinjiang minorities.
Massey said last week that the Shihezi collaboration relied heavily on sheep genetics, farm management and animal science.
Political analyst Dr. Paul G Buchanan has said that it appeared Massey wanted “official cover” for the relationship.
China has repeatedly rejected allegations of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, saying its policies help deter terrorism and radicalization.
On Monday, the newspaper of the Communist Party of China China Daily He said the claims of forced birth control on Uighurs were “unsubstantiated false news” that the United States and some anti-communist Western scholars fabricated.
Markus Schreiber / AP
A woman attends a protest during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Berlin, Germany, on September 1.
Education New Zealand (ENZ), the government agency for building international education, said Shihezi, Massey, and Peking University and Massey University signed the first Tripartite Agreement in 2005.
In May 2007, then-Foreign Minister Winston Peters visited Shihezi and said the agreement helped the universities to harness the common strengths of agriculture and agricultural technology.
According to ENZ, the relationship has since expanded to include more Chinese universities and the XPCC.
Education New Zealand’s John Goulter said the latest applications for the New Zealand-China Tripartite Fund were announced in May, ahead of the US sanctions.
“ENZ manages a number of funding opportunities, including this fund, and continually seeks to reevaluate and improve the way they are managed,” Goulter said in a statement.
“We are aware that universities face risks that can arise from their international connections. New Zealand universities and the New Zealand government are working collaboratively to manage these risks. “
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said New Zealand has an open and collaborative scientific system and values academic freedom.
“The government is actively seeking to increase the international connection of the scientific system,” said a spokeswoman for MBIE.
“At the same time, universities face risks that may arise from their international connections.”
MBIE said that failure to manage these risks could result in loss of reputation and damage to New Zealand’s national interests.
