After row over Uyghur abuse, Xinjiang's Governor Tuniyaz cancels controversial UK trip

Erkin Tuniyaz, the governor of China's Xinjiang region, is believed to have cancelled his controversial trip to the United Kingdom (UK), the Foreign Office said on Tuesday (February 15). Tuniyaz was supposed to visit the UK this week and meet with Foreign Office officials- a move that sparked anger among British lawmakers. Speaking to the news agency AFP, a spokesperson from the Foreign Office said "we understand the Governor of Xinjiang has cancelled his visit to the UK." The spokesperson added that the government would continue to use all opportunities to act against China's human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Last week, the MPs tabled an urgent question to quiz the Rishi Sunak government about why Tuniyaz was allowed to travel (to the UK) and why he was meeting with the above officials. In response, Foreign Office Minister Leo Docherty said the government did not invite Xinjiang's governor to the UK, and that the meeting would have been the opportunity to send a very strong message to someone who was involved in the governance of this Chinese region.

"Under no circumstances would he be dignified with a ministerial meeting," Docherty added and pointed out that China's actions in Xinjiang were of course abhorrent and the government would not legitimise them in any way. In 2022, the British Parliament passed a non-binding declaration that crimes against humanity and genocide were being committed in Xinjiang.

For years, China has been accused by rights groups and many governments around the world of abuses against Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that has a population of around 10 million in Xinjiang. A recent report by the United Nations (UN)found credible allegations of torture and forced labour in the region. However, Beijing for long has denied all allegations and claimed that the United States (US) and Western allies have been using the issue as a "political tool", AFP reported on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Xinjian Governor Erkin Tuniyaz has defended the Chinese government's "de-radicalisation" policies in the country's northwest, including the use of detention facilities. In 2021, Tuniyaz was sanctioned by the US with the Treasury Department saying that during his tenure, over one million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups had been detained in the region.

(With inputs from agencies)

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