UK foreign secretary James Cleverly says raised human rights concerns at meetings with top Chinese officials

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, during his state visit to Beijing on Wednesday (30 August), said that he made it a point to raise human rights concerns at all of his meetings that were scheduled with top Chinese officials.

"I've had a number of conversations with senior representatives of the Chinese government and I have raised human rights in every single one of those meetings," Cleverly said Wednesday.

"This is an issue that is discussed extensively not just bilaterally, but at the United Nations," he said.

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"I think the Chinese government understand the UK is consistent in our approach... and I will keep raising these issues with (them)."

Beijing's foreign ministry brushed off questions about the role of human rights in the discussions.

"Hong Kong and Xinjiang are purely China's internal affairs and brook no interference from other countries," ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing.

Cleverly, who is the very first UK foreign minister to visit China in five years, held talks with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng and is scheduled to meet top diplomat Wang Yi.

Previously, the foreign office said that his meetings would include conversations on China's crackdown on freedoms in the former British colony of Hong Kong as well as Beijing's alleged rights abuses in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions.

Britain 'clear-eyed' about disagreements with China

Cleverly further said that the United Kingdom was "clear-eyed" about the areas where it would disagree with China.

"We are clear-eyed about the areas where we have fundamental disagreements with China and we raise those issues when we meet," he told broadcasters.

"But I think it's important to also recognise that we have to have a pragmatic, sensible working relationship with China because of the issues that affect us all around the globe."

Last month, China had condemned the UK for safeguarding fugitives after Cleverly slammed the Hong Kong government for offering bounties for information that led to the seizure of democracy activists who were based overseas.

In addition, on Sunday (August 27), the state-backed Global Times newspaper ignited an intense altercation after its demand for the British Museum to "return Chinese cultural relics for free".

(With inputs from agencies)

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