Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Chinese authorities on reports of the mass sterilisation of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang; and if he will make a statement.
As I set out during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on 29 June, we are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. We are aware of reports of forced sterilisation of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, which would amount to a gross violation of human rights. We are closely monitoring all available evidence, and have raised the issue with Chinese officials. On 28 July, the Foreign Secretary expressed his serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang to his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi.