China: Uighurs

(asked on 22nd March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the evidential basis to suggest that the Chinese state is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Nigel Adams Portrait
Nigel Adams
This question was answered on 25th March 2021

The Government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, and closely monitors the significant volume of credible, open source evidence suggesting serious, systemic violations are occurring in the region. The UK continues to work closely with international partners to hold China to account. On 22 March, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK has imposed, under the UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime, asset freezes and travel bans against four Chinese government officials, as well the Public Security Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the organisation responsible for enforcing the repressive security policies across many areas of Xinjiang.

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.

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