Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL13223):
Question Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the previous US administration’s determination that China has committed genocide in its repression of Uighurs and other minority groups; and what plans they have to make a similar determination. (HL13223)
Tabled on: 10 February 2021
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
In a call on 27 January 2021, the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed cooperation to hold China to its international commitments. The government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. We regularly discuss these concerns and related questions of policy with the US. The UK plays a leading role in holding China to account for its human rights violations in the region, working closely with international partners, including the US.
It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Competent courts include international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and national criminal courts that meet international standards of due process.
Date and time of answer: 24 Feb 2021 at 17:05.
