Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China regarding the treatment of Uighurs and other Turkic people in Xinjiang.

The UK continues to lead international efforts to hold China to account for its human rights violations. In March 2021, we imposed sanctions on four individuals and one entity for their involvement in the egregious violations taking place in Xinjiang, acting with 29 other countries. Sanctions are just one tool at our disposal. At the UN, we were the first country to lead a joint statement on human rights violations in Xinjiang in 2019 and last year we led another joint statement, which had a record number of signatories. We have taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains, for example, guidance to UK businesses and enhanced export controls. Bilaterally, we continue to raise China's human rights violations with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels - the Foreign Secretary raised the situation in Xinjiang during his first call with China's Foreign Minister in December last year.