China&nbsp;criticised New Zealand Thursday over "groundless" allegations about the ill-treatment of Uyghurs, underlining Wellington's struggle to find a middle ground between its largest trading partner and its traditional Western allies.

Beijing expressed anger after New Zealand's parliament passed a watered-down motion Wednesday expressing "grave concern" at human rights abuses involving the Uyghur Muslim minority in&nbsp;China's Xinjiang province.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ruling Labour Party insisted any reference to genocide was scrubbed out of the motion, which was submitted by a minor opposition party, but the move failed to appease&nbsp;China's embassy in Wellington.

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The embassy said in a statement that the New Zealand parliament was meddling in matters that concerned&nbsp;China's sovereignty.

This move grossly interferes in&nbsp;China's internal affairs and runs counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations," it said.&nbsp;

"The Chinese side deplores and firmly opposes such action."

The embassy said the motion would "harm the mutual trust between&nbsp;China&nbsp;and NZ".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-slams-chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-doesnt-label-it-genocide-382930">New Zealand slams China's treatment of Uighurs, doesn't label it 'genocide'</a>
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At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps in Xinjiang, according to rights groups, who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.

Ardern's centre-left government has been noticeably less vocal than its allies in condemning the abuses, leading to accusations it is a weak link in the US-led Five Eyes intelligence alliance that also includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

Ardern this week conceded New Zealand's differences with&nbsp;China&nbsp;on human rights were becoming "harder to reconcile", but said her government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing.

However, allies such as Australia have been much blunter in their criticism, spurring punitive levies from Beijing on more than a dozen Australian imports, including wine and barley.

China&nbsp;on Thursday suspended regular bilateral trade talks with Australia, in a move Canberra described as "disappointing".

China criticised New Zealand Thursday over "groundless" allegations about the ill-treatment of Uyghurs, underlining Wellington's struggle to find a middle ground between its largest trading partner and its traditional Western allies.

China criticised New Zealand Thursday over "groundless" allegations about the ill-treatment of Uyghurs, underlining Wellington's struggle to find a middle ground between its largest trading partner and its traditional Western allies. Beijing expressed anger after New Zealand's parliament passed a watered-down motion Wednesday expressing "grave concern" at human rights abuses involving the Uyghur Muslim minority in China's Xinjiang province. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ruling Labour Party insisted any reference to genocide was scrubbed out of the motion, which was submitted by a minor opposition party, but the move failed to appease China's embassy in Wellington. The embassy said in a statement that the New Zealand parliament was meddling in matters that concerned China's sovereignty. This move grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and runs counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations," it said. "The Chinese side deplores and firmly opposes such action." The embassy said the motion would "harm the mutual trust between China and NZ". Also read | New Zealand slams China's treatment of Uighurs, doesn't label it 'genocide' At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps in Xinjiang, according to rights groups, who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour. Ardern's centre-left government has been noticeably less vocal than its allies in condemning the abuses, leading to accusations it is a weak link in the US-led Five Eyes intelligence alliance that also includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Ardern this week conceded New Zealand's differences with China on human rights were becoming "harder to reconcile", but said her government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing. However, allies such as Australia have been much blunter in their criticism, spurring punitive levies from Beijing on more than a dozen Australian imports, including wine and barley. China on Thursday suspended regular bilateral trade talks with Australia, in a move Canberra described as "disappointing".

China slams New Zealand over parliament motion on Uyghur Muslim abuse

China&nbsp;on Thursday said it "strongly&nbsp;condemns" a statement by the Group of Seven nations accusing Beijing of&nbsp;rights&nbsp;abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as a schism with Western democracies widens.

Foreign ministers from&nbsp;G7&nbsp;countries Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan urged&nbsp;China&nbsp;to abide by its obligations under international and national law during their first face-to-face meeting in two years in London.

The group said they were "deeply concerned" by alleged&nbsp;human rights&nbsp;violations and abuses against the minority Uyghur Muslim population in&nbsp;China's western Xinjiang region and Tibet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-g7-biden-will-push-allies-to-act-on-chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-report-379741">At G7, Biden will push allies to act on China's treatment of Uighurs: Report</a>

They also urged an end to the targeting of&nbsp;rights&nbsp;protesters in Hong Kong.

Beijing was quick to hit back, railing against the&nbsp;G7&nbsp;for making "unfounded accusations against&nbsp;China&nbsp;and openly intervening in&nbsp;China's internal affairs", Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

He said the group was engaged in the "wanton destruction of the norms of international relations", repeating Beijing's long-held line that those issues were&nbsp;China's own matters.

The&nbsp;G7&nbsp;statement also said the group supports Taiwan's participation in World Health Organization forums and the World Health Assembly, which prompted&nbsp;China&nbsp;to retort that the island's participation must be handled in line with the one-China&nbsp;principle.

Wang added the&nbsp;G7&nbsp;should do more to boost global economic recovery rather than causing "contradictions and differences" in the international community.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-slams-chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-doesnt-label-it-genocide-382930">New Zealand slams China's treatment of Uighurs, doesn't label it 'genocide'</a>

"We urge the relevant countries to face up to their own problems... and stop generalising on the concept of national security as well as other wrong practices," he said.

Beijing's latest rebuke comes as tensions with Western nations grow and international&nbsp;criticism&nbsp;mounts over issues including Xinjiang, where&nbsp;rights&nbsp;groups estimate at least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps.

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Authorities in the area are also said to have forcibly sterilised women and imposed forced labour.

The United States has since accused&nbsp;China&nbsp;of genocide and British MPs last month approved a symbolic parliamentary motion declaring that Uyghur Muslims in&nbsp;China&nbsp;were "suffering crimes against humanity and genocide".

But&nbsp;China&nbsp;has decried the&nbsp;criticism&nbsp;over Xinjiang as lies, claiming that testimonies in news reports have been made by "a few fake actors".

The country has since ramped up its propaganda, holding dozens of press briefings on the subject, while state-owned outlet CGTN released a four-part documentary series looking to justify the government's policies in the region.

Although the&nbsp;G7&nbsp;members reserved their strongest&nbsp;criticism&nbsp;for&nbsp;China, they also targeted Russia over "irresponsible and destablising behaviour" on the Ukrainian border where it has amassed troops.&nbsp;

The group also called on Iran to release foreign and duals nations from its jails.

But they held the door open to&nbsp;China&nbsp;for future cooperation.

The&nbsp;G7&nbsp;maintained they would look for ways to work with the world's second-largest economy "to promote regional and global peace, security and prosperity".

China on Thursday said it "strongly condemns" a statement by the Group of Seven nations accusing Beijing of rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as a schism with Western democracies widens.

China on Thursday said it "strongly condemns" a statement by the Group of Seven nations accusing Beijing of rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as a schism with Western democracies widens. Foreign ministers from G7 countries Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan urged China to abide by its obligations under international and national law during their first face-to-face meeting in two years in London. The group said they were "deeply concerned" by alleged human rights violations and abuses against the minority Uyghur Muslim population in China's western Xinjiang region and Tibet. Also read | At G7, Biden will push allies to act on China's treatment of Uighurs: Report They also urged an end to the targeting of rights protesters in Hong Kong. Beijing was quick to hit back, railing against the G7 for making "unfounded accusations against China and openly intervening in China's internal affairs", Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. He said the group was engaged in the "wanton destruction of the norms of international relations", repeating Beijing's long-held line that those issues were China's own matters. The G7 statement also said the group supports Taiwan's participation in World Health Organization forums and the World Health Assembly, which prompted China to retort that the island's participation must be handled in line with the one-China principle. Wang added the G7 should do more to boost global economic recovery rather than causing "contradictions and differences" in the international community. Also read | New Zealand slams China's treatment of Uighurs, doesn't label it 'genocide' "We urge the relevant countries to face up to their own problems... and stop generalising on the concept of national security as well as other wrong practices," he said. Beijing's latest rebuke comes as tensions with Western nations grow and international criticism mounts over issues including Xinjiang, where rights groups estimate at least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in camps. Authorities in the area are also said to have forcibly sterilised women and imposed forced labour. The United States has since accused China of genocide and British MPs last month approved a symbolic parliamentary motion declaring that Uyghur Muslims in China were "suffering crimes against humanity and genocide". But China has decried the criticism over Xinjiang as lies, claiming that testimonies in news reports have been made by "a few fake actors". The country has since ramped up its propaganda, holding dozens of press briefings on the subject, while state-owned outlet CGTN released a four-part documentary series looking to justify the government's policies in the region. Although the G7 members reserved their strongest criticism for China, they also targeted Russia over "irresponsible and destablising behaviour" on the Ukrainian border where it has amassed troops. The group also called on Iran to release foreign and duals nations from its jails. But they held the door open to China for future cooperation. The G7 maintained they would look for ways to work with the world's second-largest economy "to promote regional and global peace, security and prosperity".

Persecution of Uyghur Muslims: China hits back at G7 rights criticism

Britain's parliament called for the government to take action to end what lawmakers described as genocide in China's Xinjiang region. Lawmakers have also called the UK government to use international law to bring the genocide to an end.

UK parliament declares genocide in China's Xinjiang