The only thing that would probably have a chance of working is a large global coalition willing to take action simultaneously to sanction China's economy to the tune of at least being equivalent to a trillion dollars annually (whatever form that would need to take, a combination of targeting their companies, exports, imports, access to natural resources, banks, high level politicians, et al.). It would require at a minimum the US/Canada + EU + Japan + South Korea + AU/NZ. That gets you the majority of the global economy.
The big problem: it involves the world's consumers willingly punching themselves in the face at the same time. It might even throw the global economy into a deep recession and as a consequence kill a lot more people than the gulags are likely to. There are a lot of fallout problems in dealing with China, not least because they've historically shown a willingness to distribute any necessary pain upon their people to achieve party goals. There'd also have to be an elaborate verification program put in place, so China wouldn't continue their agenda in a more subtle manner; I don't see that sort of invasive foreign observation ever being allowed.
They've made a very conscious choice to eliminate the Uighur culture, as they did with Tibet before it. They have an end goal in mind, it's hard to imagine stopping them without upping the risks very high. Frankly I'm skeptical there is any way to stop them, I think they'd just take the pain and make it an us vs them conflict to convince the domestic population to absorb it (insert slogans here to drive loyalty during the great fight against the imperialists).
> It might even throw the global economy into a deep recession and as a consequence kill a lot more people than the gulags are likely to.
This isn't the last gulag of the CCP. We would never know how many future atrocities were prevented with proper diplomatic and economic sanctions against them.
I think you're right, and it illustrates a fundamental problem of the capitalist system—it is incapable of making value judgements on its own. "What about consumer choices?". Consumers, in general, are also not making value judgements when they buy something. Perhaps purchasing taps into something primal in us that we cannot intellectually override in the moment, just muse about after the fact. To wit, the market for ethical goods is miniscule, and most pick the product with the highest perceived cost/value ratio. What remains is government. While we don't tend to make value judgements when we shop, we do make them when we vote. Which is why it's crucial that governments have the power to regulate corporations' actions, also abroad.
What makes you think that the world cares so much about Uighur culture? Myanmar rohingya crisis is a clear proof that the world is not very keen to fight for human rights even when the cost is low (compared with a China conflict).
And this is the hard truth: If the rohingya were to be displaced in big numbers in the US or any of the developed countries(maybe with a few exceptions) I'm pretty sure they would be turned back/stopped at the border.
The big problem: it involves the world's consumers willingly punching themselves in the face at the same time. It might even throw the global economy into a deep recession and as a consequence kill a lot more people than the gulags are likely to. There are a lot of fallout problems in dealing with China, not least because they've historically shown a willingness to distribute any necessary pain upon their people to achieve party goals. There'd also have to be an elaborate verification program put in place, so China wouldn't continue their agenda in a more subtle manner; I don't see that sort of invasive foreign observation ever being allowed.
They've made a very conscious choice to eliminate the Uighur culture, as they did with Tibet before it. They have an end goal in mind, it's hard to imagine stopping them without upping the risks very high. Frankly I'm skeptical there is any way to stop them, I think they'd just take the pain and make it an us vs them conflict to convince the domestic population to absorb it (insert slogans here to drive loyalty during the great fight against the imperialists).