Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Minister for Asia met with the Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang on 15 December 2021, whether she raised the cases of Parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by the People's Republic of China; and what the outcome of that meeting was.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In my meeting with Ambassador Zheng on 15 December 2021, I raised the UK's serious concerns regarding human rights in Xinjiang, noting these concerns are widely shared by the international community. I urged the Chinese Government to engage with the evidence provided by the Uyghur Tribunal. I also raised the unacceptable and unwarranted sanctions imposed upon UK Parliamentarians by the People's Republic of China. I emphasised the importance of freedom of speech and Parliamentary independence in the UK, as well as the necessity for Parliamentarians to be able to raise their legitimate concerns.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Minister for Asia has met with the Parliamentarians and academics who were sanctioned by the People's Republic of China.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Foreign Secretary is clear that the freedom to speak out in opposition to human rights violations is fundamental, and the Government stands firmly with those who have been sanctioned.
The Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary held meetings with the Parliamentarians named in China's announcement in March 2021, and Lord Ahmad has met other individuals and entities targeted. Through this engagement we have provided guidance and ongoing support, including a designated FCDO point of contact, and specialist briefing from relevant Government departments. We continue to offer our full support to those affected.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Minister for Asia met with the Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang on 15 December 2021, whether she discussed the Uyghur Tribunal’s verdict of genocide with the Ambassador; what the outcome of that meeting was; and who was present at that meeting.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In my meeting with Ambassador Zheng on 15 December 2021, I raised the UK's serious concerns regarding human rights in Xinjiang, noting these concerns are widely shared by the international community. I urged the Chinese Government to engage with the evidence provided by the Uyghur Tribunal. I also raised the unacceptable and unwarranted sanctions imposed upon UK Parliamentarians by the People's Republic of China. I emphasised the importance of freedom of speech and Parliamentary independence in the UK, as well as the necessity for Parliamentarians to be able to raise their legitimate concerns.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether officials from the diplomatic service, including ambassadors and civil servants, were present at the diplomatic briefing on the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games held on 26 November 2021.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Officials from British Embassy Beijing attended the briefing on 26 November, alongside diplomats from a range of countries.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has (a) asked for, (b) had sight of and (c) discussed the evidence used by the US Administration to declare genocide in Xinjiang.
Answered by Nigel Adams
It is the long-standing policy of the UK Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court. The UK's approach, shared by many countries around the world, does not prevent us from taking action to address serious human rights violations, as we have done in the case of Xinjiang. The US has a different process that is not linked to a court decision. We regularly discuss the situation in Xinjiang and related questions of policy with the US.