UN official criticized for endorsing China’s tourism campaign
East Turkistan Government in Exile condemns UNWTO secretary general’s participation
WASHINGTON, United States – The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has strongly criticized Francesco Frangialli, Honorary Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), for endorsing China’s 2025 tourism campaign, “Nihao! China.”
The campaign, unveiled in a state-sponsored event, promotes tourism to UNESCO sites in China and Occupied East Turkistan, an area where the Chinese government is accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity.
ETGE denounced Frangialli’s keynote address at the event, calling it an “irresponsible and dangerous act of complicity.”
The group argued that his participation lent international legitimacy to China’s efforts to obscure its ongoing atrocities while marketing East Turkistan—a region where Uyghur and other Turkic communities face severe repression—as a tourist destination.
“This is not just offensive; it is a betrayal,” said Mamtimin Ala, President of the ETGE.
“The presence of a UN-affiliated representative at a Chinese propaganda event underscores the UN’s alarming readiness to overlook its findings in favor of diplomatic optics.”
The ETGE highlighted numerous human rights violations in East Turkestan, including the mass internment of over a million Uyghurs and Turkic peoples, forced sterilizations, coerced labor, and the destruction of cultural and religious identities.
Children have been separated from families for ideological indoctrination, while women face systemic sterilization—acts the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported in 2022 as potential crimes against humanity.
Despite these findings, the ETGE noted that the UN, including its General Assembly, Security Council, and Human Rights Council, has taken no significant steps to hold China accountable.
The ETGE called on the UNWTO to issue a public apology and distance itself from Frangialli’s involvement.
It also urged the UN to officially recognize the genocide in East Turkistan and take immediate action, including appealing to the International Criminal Court to investigate and hold Chinese officials accountable for crimes against humanity.
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