Global Leaders Clash and Call for Action on Combatting Islamophobia

China and the US clashed at a UN event to mark an international day against Islamophobia, with the US ambassador using the event to draw attention to China's persecution of its Uyghur minority. The Chinese ambassador accused the US of seeking to sow discord between China and Muslim nations. The US has formally recognised that Muslims are increasingly subject to “discrimination and violence”, and cited the treatment of the Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Myanmar. China's persecution of the Uyghurs has been documented by human rights organisations and by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and has been widely condemned by western governments.