Bishop of Exeter asks about China and the Pacific Ocean Islands

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 26th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security pact between the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about China and Hong Kong

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of extradition treaties between EU Member States and the People’s Republic of China on freedom of movement for UK citizens in Europe; and what discussions they have had with European counterparts on this matter.

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Bishop of St Albans asks Government about treatment of Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch

The following written question was replied to on 30th March 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Hong Kong following reports of threats and intimidation of Benedict Rogers, a UK citizen and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch. [HL7070]

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Bishop of St Albans asks question on products of slave labour

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on what steps could be taken to identify products of slave labour to consumers on 16th December 2021, during a debate on the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, what assessment have Her Majesty’s Government made of kitemarking products which originate in Xinjiang province so that people can be informed that they may be produced by slave labour? That would help the economy take action in this important area, where we face such atrocities.

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Bishop of St Albans calls for diplomacy to be matched with action on Uyghur population in China

“what moral authority will we lose, and what price will the Uighurs pay, if we do not do all in our power, whatever the cost, to confront these dreadful atrocities that are unfolding in front of our eyes?”

In the House of Lords on 25th November 2021 Peers debated a Motion from Lord Alton of Liverpool, “That this House takes note of the reported remarks of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs that a genocide is underway against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, China.”

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his tireless work in this area. I also share with him a sense of frustration—I feel as if I have stood up so many times as we have engaged with this issue, yet it seems that we are not able to confront it in a way that is really making a difference. Despite all our hopes of human progress, it is quite extraordinary that here we are, at the start of the 21st century, witnessing events such as we see and which are now well documented. There is no doubt that they are going on.

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Organ Tourism and Cadavers on Display Bill: Bishop of St Albans welcomes bill, highlights repression of the Uighur minority in China

On 16th July 2021, the House of Lords debated the Organ Tourism and Cadavers on Display Bill [HL] in its second reading. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of the bill, bringing up the persecution of the Uighur minority in China:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too support this Bill and welcome the very excellent speech by the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, and this important priority to equalise the law so that, whether a body or an organ comes from someone in this country or some other part of this world, they will be given the same protections and treated with the same dignity.

Noble Lords have already spelled out with great and horrifying clarity some of the allegations of organ harvesting by the Chinese authorities targeting minorities. I have risen to speak today because I have been raising again and again in this House the issue of the Uighurs, and this absolutely touches on what is happening to this incredibly persecuted group of people. It is terrifying to see what is unfolding before our very eyes. In June 2021, a group of independent UN experts said that they had received information that detainees from ethnic and religious groups such as the Uighurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong and Chinese Christians were being subjected to examination without their consent, with the express intention to facilitate organ allocation.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about status of British Nationals Overseas in Hong Kong

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the governments of Hong Kong and China not to continue to recognise British National (Overseas) passports as valid travel documents.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about potential for partial boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

The Bishop of St Albans asked about the potential for a partial boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics on 18th March 2021, during a discussion on China’s treatment of Uighurs and incursions into Taiwanese airspace:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: What consideration have Her Majesty’s Government given to the suggestion of a diplomatic and economic, rather than full-scale, boycott of the 2022 Beijing winter Olympics, in response to China’s ongoing repression of the Uighur Muslim minority?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about actions of companies supporting the Beijing Winter Olympics

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on possible sanctions or boycotts against companies supporting the Beijing Winter Olympics in light of human rights abuses by China on 10th February:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, I am sure none of us wants to see a boycott of the Winter Olympics, yet we are seeing unprecedented human rights abuses and we will be judged by future generations on how we respond. Have Her Majesty’s Government considered what actions they might take against companies that are either official sponsors, suppliers or partners of these Games and that are bidding for public contracts?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about HSBC, China and Hong Kong democracy campaigners

On 30th December the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to questions on HSBC, China and democracy campaigners in Hong Kong:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between HSBC Bank and the Chinese Communist Party. [HL11375]

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to HSBC Bank following that bank’s suspension of the bank accounts of pro-democracy campaigners from Hong Kong. [HL11376] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about HSBC, China and Hong Kong democracy campaigners”