Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the case of Christians prevented from leaving that country to attend a Protestant Reformation event in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 14 November.

The UK Government is concerned by any restrictions placed on Christians in China. The freedom to practise, change or share your faith or belief is a fundamental human right that all people should enjoy. I am alarmed to hear that Christians may have been prevented from leaving the country on the basis of their religion or to attend a religious event and my officials are seeking further information.

The UK Government has raised these concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief directly with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 27 June. We also issued an item IV statement at the 35th UN Human Rights Council in June and will raise the latest matter at the earliest future opportunity.