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Australia and NZ “grave concerns” over China’s human rights abuses
China’s leaders have made it clear that they do not want interference when it comes to international concerns over alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang province.
It follows Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, meeting this week to discuss ways to move forward with China.
The two leaders also flagged tensions within the South China Sea, where China has continued to assert dominance and push for control.
The Prime Ministers expressed deep concern
Ardern and Morrison say they have “serious concern over developments in the area” including militarisation of disputed features, and destabilising activities at sea.
Ardern said that her country and Australia are positioned in exactly the same place.
In a joint statement from the nations leaders, The Prime Ministers expressed deep concern over developments that limit the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and “undermine the high degree of autonomy China guaranteed Hong Kong until 2047 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
“The Prime Ministers also expressed grave concerns about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and called upon China to respect the human rights of the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities and to grant the United Nations and other independent observers meaningful and unfettered access to the region.”
The the prime ministers said in a joint statement.
However, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says his country is staunchly opposed to any international interference, saying China has a very different definition of human rights from the west.