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China accuses EU of making ‘unacceptable’ demands over Xinjiang visit
- Beijing has defended its treatment of Uygurs in the region and has said critics are welcome to visit, but critics say these tours are stage-managed
- China also accused the EU of ‘hypocrisy’ after Brussels said it had taken a strong stance in support of human rights in Xinjiang
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Laura Zhouin Beijing
China has accused European diplomats of imposing “unacceptable” preconditions on a visit to Xinjiang.
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In a statement published on Friday, the Chinese mission to the European Union also accused the bloc’s diplomatic arm of “hypocrisy” after it responded to a petition about alleged human rights abuses in the region with a statement that it would tackle concerns about forced labour.
The statement said: “China has sent an invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang and the two sides have been in constant communication.
“China has also invited diplomats from the EU and its member states posted in China many times to visit Xinjiang. However, the trip has not been carried out due to preconditions set by the EU side, which are unacceptable to any sovereign state.”
China has been accused of detaining a million mainly Uygur Muslims in “re-education” centres, where they are subject to indoctrination, torture and forced labour.
The US has described Beijing’s policies as “genocide” and a number of parliaments around the world have also passed motions to that effect.
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