Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the (a) United Nations, (b) US Administration or (c) EU about the detention of Pastor Zhang Chunlei.
We are aware of reports that Pastor Zhang Chunlei is detained and facing charges of fraud and inciting subversion of state power. Pastor Zhang Chunlei's case adds to our deep concern about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights violations and freedom of religion or belief directly with the Chinese authorities and in multilateral fora. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary underlined our concerns in an address to the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March. We continue regular discussion and sharing of analysis on the human rights situation in China with our international partners, including the US and EU.