Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Chinese government on the removal of crosses from Christian churches in Zhejiang province.

We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and remain concerned by all reports of restrictions to freedom of religion or belief and persecution of faith groups, including reports of the removal of crosses from Christian churches in Zhejiang Province. A British official visited Wenzhou in May and spoke to church leaders. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness of Anelay of St Johns raised the case of Ding Cuimei, who reportedly died while protesting the demolition of her church in Zhejiang province, with the Director of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee on 7 July.