China and Palestine strengthen ties amidst controversy over Muslim minority crackdown.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has ended his visit to China after seeking economic aid and endorsing Beijing's repressive policies towards Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. In a joint statement, the Palestinian Authority supported China's stance that its policies in Xinjiang have "nothing to do with human rights" and are aimed at countering extremism and terrorism. China has been heavily criticized for detaining over a million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in prison-like detention centers. Critics say many of these centers have been turned into prisons.