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Britain and China issued new salvos of criticism against each other Sunday, with the U.K. foreign secretary hinting that he may suspend the U.K.s extradition arrangements with Hong Kong over China's moves against the city-state.
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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accused Beijing of “gross and egregious” human rights abuses against its Uighur population in Chinas western province of Xinjiang.
In response, the Chinese ambassador to Britain warned that China will deliver a “resolute response” to any move by Britain to sanction officials over the alleged rights abuses.
The comments were the latest signs of sharply increased tensions between the U.K. and China. Issues include Chinas treatment of its Uighur minority and a new, sweeping national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous territory that Britain handed over to China in 1997.
Britains recent decision to prohibit Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from being involved in the U.K.s superfast 5G mobile network has further frayed bilateral relations.
>> The Muslim world's silence on China's repression of the Uighurs
Raab said Sunday that Britains government has reviewed its extradition arrangements with Hong Kong and that he plans to make a statement Monday in parliament on the topic.
Earlier this month, Australia suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to Chinas imposition of security legislation on the semi-autonomous territory. Critics see the new law as a further erosion of the rule of law and freedoms that Hong Kong was promised when it reverted to Chinese rule.
Raab added that while Britain wants good relations with China, it could not stand by amid reports of forced sterilization and mass education camps targeting the Uighur population in Xinjiang.
“It is clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on. We are working with our international partners on this. It is deeply, deeply troubling,” he told the BBC.
>> Breaking the silence on Chinas two-faced campaign against Uighurs
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador, deniedRead More – Source
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