Lord Johnson of Lainston, Department for Business and Trade, provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL7382):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether Lord Johnson of Lainston raised (1) democracy in Hong Kong, (2) the military intimidation of Taiwan, or (3) the situation of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, during his recent meetings to promote business ties with Hong Kong treasury minister, Christopher Hui. (HL7382)
Tabled on: 24 April 2023
Answer:
Lord Johnson of Lainston:
The Integrated Review Refresh sets the direction across Government for a consistent, coherent, and robust approach to China, rooted in our national interest and values. That extends to our approach on Hong Kong.
The ‘engage’ strand of the United Kingdom’s policy towards China involves maintaining channels of communication with China and Hong Kong. The ‘align’ strand involves standing with allies to push back against behaviours that undermine international law or violate human rights. My meeting with the Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury provided the opportunity to raise several significant issues, including democracy concerns.
