The impact of China's Uyghur policy on its international soft power

As China seeks to achieve continued growth and rapid development, it has deemed Xinjiang to be a crucial piece of both its international and domestic policy puzzle. It is willing to go to great lengths to secure the region, as seen in its large-scale repression of the Uyghurs, whom China views as a dangerous and restive minority threatening stability in the region. As the international community learns of the abuses carried out against the Uyghur people, China has deployed a combination of hard and soft power to shore up the negative impact on its global image while using its economic might to discourage any meaningful international response. The thesis explores China's soft power toolkit and its differing approach to soft power in developed and developing countries and what impact the developments in Xinjiang will have on China's ability to use soft power to further its global ambitions