In April 2017, Chinese Communist Party authorities in Xinjiang launched a series of “strike-hard” campaigns against “illegal births” with the explicit aim to “reduce and stabilise a moderate birth level” and decrease the birth-rate in southern Xinjiang. The crackdown has led to an unprecedented and precipitous drop, and the largest declines have been in counties where Uyghurs and other indigenous communities are concentrated. Guest: Professor James Leibold (Head of Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University and a senior fellow at Australian Strategic Policy Institute). Recorded on 18th May, 2021.