China and Palestine strengthen ties amidst controversy.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas expressed support for China's policies towards Muslim minorities in Xinjiang during his visit to China. The leaders issued a joint statement endorsing Beijing's domestic and foreign policies and repudiating Western concepts of human rights. Critics say many detention centers have been turned into prisons. China has campaigned to counter outside criticism, and in the competition for resources and markets, Arab states have almost never openly expressed concern over Beijing's treatment of Muslims.