Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of reports of the (a) repression of Christians (b) arrest of Pastor Wang Yi, (c) installation of surveillance equipment in churches, (d) destruction of churches, (e) eviction of congregations and (f) banning of the sale of the Bible online in the People’s Republic of China.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned about developing restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. This includes reports that authorities are tightening control over how certain religions are practiced, including Christianity. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.
We are aware of credible reports of the closure or demolition of unregistered churches in some areas of China, including the Early Rain Covenant Church and the arrest and detention of its Pastor Wang Yi. British diplomats met with Chinese officials in January and expressed concerns on the pressures facing Christians and directly raised Pastor Wang’s case. Also in January, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised concerns about the case in the House of Lords.
We are also concerned by reports that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China, and that new guidelines on religion may restrict lawful and peaceful observance. There is also evidence to suggest restrictions on sales of Bibles by unauthorised sellers are in place.
The Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, has asked the Bishop of Truro to review what the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can do to better support persecuted Christians worldwide, including in China. The Review will map levels of persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world; assess the impact of the FCO’s current and recent support; and make recommendations. At the publication of the Bishop’s interim report, the Foreign Secretary said “I look forward to seeing the Bishop’s final report in the summer, and identifying further specific steps the FCO can take to do more to address the fate of persecuted Christians around the world.”
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Chinese Government on the arrest of over 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu on 9 December 2018.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned about developing restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. This includes reports that authorities are tightening control over how certain religions are practiced, including Christianity. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.
We are aware of credible reports of the closure or demolition of unregistered churches in some areas of China, including the Early Rain Covenant Church and the arrest and detention of its Pastor Wang Yi. British diplomats met with Chinese officials in January and expressed concerns on the pressures facing Christians and directly raised Pastor Wang’s case. Also in January, Lord Ahmad, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised concerns about the case in the House of Lords.
We are also concerned by reports that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China, and that new guidelines on religion may restrict lawful and peaceful observance. There is also evidence to suggest restrictions on sales of Bibles by unauthorised sellers are in place.
The Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, has asked the Bishop of Truro to review what the Foreign and Commonweatlh Office (FCO) can do to better support persecuted Christians worldwide, including in China. The Review will map levels of persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world; assess the impact of the FCO’s current and recent support; and make recommendations. At the publication of the Bishop’s interim report, the Foreign Secretary said “I look forward to seeing the Bishop’s final report in the summer, and identifying further specific steps the FCO can take to do more to address the fate of persecuted Christians around the world.”
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the (a) persecution of Christians, (b) suppression of the Christian faith in that country and (c)that country's plans to issue a new, state-approved translation of the Bible.
Answered by Mark Field
We remain concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share one's faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and more resilient against violent extremism.
We regularly raise the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We recently raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief with the Chinese Government in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council and during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018.
We also highlighted our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The report contains details of work the FCO has carried out during the past year to promote human rights, including freedom of religion or belief in China and globally.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the arrest of Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chingdu province in December 2018 on charges of incitement to subvert state power.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned by the arrest and detention of Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong. We have raised our concerns about the closure of some churches, including the Early Rain Covenant Church, under China’s recently updated regulations on religious affairs.
We remain concerned by the restrictions placed on Christianity and other religions in China, which include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs. The freedom to practise, change or share one's faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of different religious groups by the government of China, including the treatment of Uighur Muslims, Christians, Falun Gong and Tibetan Buddhists; and what assessment they have made of whether the treatment of those groups is part of a wider effort by the government of China to suppress religious groups.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned by the restrictions placed on Christianity, Uighur Muslims and other religions in China, that include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs. The freedom to practice, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council. The prohibition of some religious groups, and the legal restrictions and harassment aimed at others, undermines freedom of religion or belief in China.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of China on that country's inclusion in the Open Doors 2019 World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians face persecution.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign Secretary and I, alongside other British Government Ministers, routinely raise our concerns about the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, where this occurs. He recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review of the persecution of Christians around the world to help inform this important area of our work and ensure it is targeted and effective. The Government works with a large number of NGOs, including Open Doors, to help promote and protect freedom of religion or belief. We use information from a wide range of sources to inform our work.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the People’s Republic of China following (1) the destruction of crosses and shrines, (2) the closure of Christian churches, and (3) the arrest of pastors, including the detention of Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong of Early Rain Covenant Church, just before Christmas 2018.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the arrest and detention of Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong. We believe the restrictions placed on Christianity and other religions in China, that include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs are unacceptable. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case of John Cao, arrested in Yunnan Province, China, on a charge of illegal border crossing, and (2) the statement by his representative, Li Guisheng, that Mr Cao has been “wrongfully convicted".
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the arrest and detention of John Cao and will raise his case at the next round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue. We remain concerned by the restrictions placed on Christianity and other religions in China, that include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of China about (1) the conduct of the trial of John Cao, arrested in Yunnan Province, China, on a charge of illegal border crossing, (2) the request from his representatives for his appeal to be heard in a timely manner, and (3) his treatment in detention.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the arrest and detention of John Cao and will raise his case at the next round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue. We remain concerned by the restrictions placed on Christianity and other religions in China, that include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the government of China about the case of John Cao, a Christian pastor and humanitarian worker; what evidence they are aware of to support the charges against him; and whether they will ascertain why a charge normally used to convict human traffickers was used in this case.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is concerned by the arrest and detention of John Cao and will raise his case at the next round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue. We remain concerned by the restrictions placed on Christianity and other religions in China, that include individuals being harassed or detained for their beliefs. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and resilient against violent extremism.
We are robust in raising the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018, and in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council.