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

Chinaon Thursday said it "stronglycondemns" a statement by the Group of Seven nations accusing Beijing ofrightsabuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as a schism with Western democracies widens.

Foreign ministers fromG7countries Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan urgedChinato 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 allegedhuman rightsviolations and abuses against the minority Uyghur Muslim population inChina's western Xinjiang region and Tibet.

They also urged an end to the targeting ofrightsprotesters in Hong Kong.

Beijing was quick to hit back, railing against theG7for making "unfounded accusations againstChinaand openly intervening inChina'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 wereChina's own matters.

TheG7statement also said the group supports Taiwan's participation in World Health Organization forums and the World Health Assembly, which promptedChinato retort that the island's participation must be handled in line with the one-Chinaprinciple.

Wang added theG7should do more to boost global economic recovery rather than causing "contradictions and differences" in the international community.

"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 internationalcriticismmounts over issues including Xinjiang, whererightsgroups 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 accusedChinaof genocide and British MPs last month approved a symbolic parliamentary motion declaring that Uyghur Muslims inChinawere "suffering crimes against humanity and genocide".

ButChinahas decried thecriticismover 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 theG7members reserved their strongestcriticismforChina, 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 toChinafor future cooperation.

TheG7maintained they would look for ways to work with the world's second-largest economy "to promote regional and global peace, security and prosperity".