Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China; and if he will make a statement.

We regularly raise our concerns about Xinjiang at the UN, and directly with Chinese officials. Most recently, on 5 March the Minister for Asia raised his concerns about Xinjiang with Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK. On 25 February at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Lord Ahmad expressed concern about Xinjiang during the UK's opening address, calling on China to allow the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights unfettered access to the region. The UK Ambassador to China also raised our concerns about the region with Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang on 24 December 2019.