Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the arrest of ten pastors and co-workers affiliated with Zion's Light Church in Xi'an; and what assessment they have made of the implications of those reports on engagement with China on human rights issues, including freedom of religion or belief.

The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).

More broadly, this Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

We continue to do all we can to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression across China.