The British minister addresses the problem of the Uyghurs in China

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly began his visit to China on August 30th. According to this visit, he is the first British Foreign Secretary to visit China after a hiatus of five years. The last time a British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, visited China was in July 2018 during the tenure of Theresa May as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

According to Radio France International, the British Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, James Cleverly, met with the Chinese Foreign Minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Yi, on Wednesday.

"Global problems cannot be solved without China." During the meeting, Minister Cleverly emphasized the importance of maintaining relations with China, stating, "Many important global problems, from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation, cannot be solved without China. In his remarks, he stressed that it would be a mistake to leave China, the world's second-largest economy, alone and that the United Kingdom should engage with China.

Addressing the Uyghur genocide
During their bilateral meetings in Beijing, they pointed out the importance of China's responsible behavior in global security. They cited examples of the Russian-Ukrainian war and tensions in the South China Sea. They also raised concerns about China's treatment of Uyghurs as genocide and its human rights commitments in Tibet, expressing concern about the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy.

The British Minister also emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the international community and called on China to lift sanctions against British legislators.

"Taiwan has the potential to become an independent state." On the other hand, while the British Foreign Secretary held talks in China, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons affirmed in a report published on August 30th that Taiwan is an independent state with a permanent population and the ability to establish diplomatic relations with other countries. It possesses all the qualifications necessary to become a state, requiring only more international recognition.

"Do not interfere in our internal affairs." Speaking at a press conference on this matter, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that the British Foreign Secretary and Chinese officials discussed bilateral relations and international issues. He pointed out that Hong Kong, East Turkistan (so-called Xinjiang), and Tibet are China's internal affairs, and any irresponsible claims about Taiwan would send the wrong signals to supporters of independence, which the UK should abandon.

In a speech delivered in November 2022 after taking office, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized that "the golden age of cooperation has ended" in relations with China, and the United Kingdom should now "focus on economic security."