Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on (a) Christian churches in that country and (b) the arrest of (i) priests and (ii) laypersons from that community; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure the promotion of religious freedom in that country.

The Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and we continue to engage with Chinese counterparts on the restriction of those freedoms, including the arbitrary arrest of Christians for practicing their faith.