Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 21 July 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 August 2020. It was answered by Baroness Sugg (Conservative) on Monday, 3 August 2020 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

China: Religious Freedom

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China about (1) its rejection of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and (2) whether that government will support Article 18 in the future.

Answer: We regularly raise human rights concerns, and the need for China to uphold its international obligations with the Chinese authorities. On 9 March the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. On 30 June, the UK read out a statement on behalf of 28 countries at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council highlighting concerns about arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions, particularly those targeting Uyghurs and other minorities, in Xinjiang.

Secondary information