China
Located in East Asia, China is bordered by Mongolia and Russia to the north, Russia, the Gulf of Korea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea to the east, the South China Sea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Nepal to the south, and India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to the west. In China, where 56 different ethnic groups live, roughly 92% of the population is Han Chinese. Other main ethnic groups are Uyghur Turks, Zhuang, Manchus, Hui, Miaos, Tujia, Yis, Mongols, and Tibetans.
Although there are many different perspectives on when Islam first came across China, according to the vast majority of these views, the first contact between Islam and China began as early as the 7th century. The ongoing relations between the Arabs and the Chinese since earlier also helped accelerate this process. The first official contact between the two parties is believed to have taken place in 651 when an envoy was sent to China during the caliphate of Uthman. In the first centuries that followed, relations between China and Arab as well as Persian Muslims continued uninterruptedly, especially through maritime trade and the Silk Road. However, the Battle of Talas in 751 had an impact on the relations between these two sides. This battle, which is considered to be the only war between China and Muslims in history, has great importance in that it stopped China's advance in Central Asia.
Islam has always been a constant presence in Chinese geography since this period, especially during the Mongol rule (13th-14th centuries), Islam was accepted by large masses in the interior regions, and Turkish and Iranian elements introduced from Central Asia acted as a buffer between the Mongol rule and the original Chinese. During the Ming Dynasty, which was established after Mongol rule, Muslims held important positions and maintained their presence in Chinese territory until the mid-17th century.
During the reign of the Qing Dynasty, some parts of the region were annexed and other parts of the region were taken over with the occupation attempt to control the East Turkestan region. Many rebellion movements, especially in the 19th century, were suppressed brutally and tens of thousands of Muslims were massacred in these processes. This policy of China towards East Turkestan continued and still exists after the transition to the republican regime in the 20th century. Today, most of the geography of East Turkestan is still within the borders of the People's Republic of China and is called Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region. The demographic structure of the 1.66 million km2 region has been changed by China's relocation policies and Turks have been reduced to a minority in the region. Today, it is assumed that more than half of the population of around 24 million are Uyghur Turks. On the other hand, it is estimated that the total population of Uyghur Turks exceeds 20 million, including those who had to migrate to all over the world, especially Turkey, the USA, and neighboring countries. Since the official figures on this issue are misleading, it is not possible to provide an exact number.
The people in East Turkestan, which is important for China with its rich underground and surface resources, are in a tough situation today due to the Chinese persecution that has been ongoing for many years. Numerous methods such as arbitrary detention and imprisonment, restrictions on belief and worship, forced abortion practices, harassment and rape cases, difficulties in education and business life, bureaucratic measures that make daily life difficult, and confiscation of property are policies against human rights and international law that continue uninterruptedly.