London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 07, 2026

Come For A "Friendly" Visit, Not To Probe Xinjiang Allegations: China To UN Body Chief

Come For A "Friendly" Visit, Not To Probe Xinjiang Allegations: China To UN Body Chief

The US and the EU besides many other countries have accused China of committing a genocide against the minority Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang and called for an international probe by human rights groups.
China on Tuesday politely declined UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's call for a meaningful access to verify the serious reports of human rights violations in the restive region of Xinjiang, saying she is welcome for a "friendly visit" but not to pursue a probe with presumption of guilt.

The US and the EU besides many other countries have accused China of committing a genocide against the minority Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang and called for an international probe by human rights groups.

In her address to the 47th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Bachelet said, I continue to discuss with China modalities for a visit, including meaningful access, to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and hope this can be achieved this year, particularly as reports of serious human rights violations continue to emerge.

China has been vehemently refuting allegations of interning millions of Uygurs in mass detention camps, which were officially termed as education camps, in a bid to wean them away from religious extremism.

Asked for his reaction to Bachelet's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here that the remarks made by the chief of the top UN human rights body on Xinjiang-related issues "runs counter to facts."

We welcome the High Commissioner to come to China to visit Xinjiang. We have long issued an invitation to the High Commissioner to come to China for a visit to Xinjiang and we are in communication on this issue.

This visit should be a friendly visit with the aim of promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation rather than to pursue a so-called investigation with the presumption of guilt , Zhao said.

We firmly oppose any attempt by anyone to seek political manipulation by using this issue and to exert pressure on China, he said.

Without directly naming the US and EU, which are pressing for a probe into the allegations of genocide against Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang, Zhao said some countries are spreading "lies and misinformation" on Xinjiang to smear China and contain China's development.

Their attempts are only doomed to fail, he said.

China accuses East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is entrenched in Uighur Muslim-majority province of Xinjiang province, of being responsible for numerous violent attacks in the province and outside, including one at the Forbidden City in Beijing in 2013, killing several people.

It had sharply criticised the US for delisting the Xinjiang's separatist terrorist outfit from its list of terrorist organisations last year, saying it reflected Washington's 'double standards' on fighting global terrorism.

Bachelet, in her remarks to the Council, had also sharply criticised China's crackdown in Hong Kong after imposing the National Security Law to take control of the former British colony.

It has now been a year since the adoption of the National Security Law in Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region), on which my Office has expressed serious concerns, she said.

We have been closely monitoring its application and the chilling impact it has had on the civic and democratic space, as well as independent media, Bachelet said in an apparent reference to the police crackdown on journalists, specially on the independent media house Apple Daily whose editor and other staff faced prosecution.

She underlined that since July 1 last year, 107 people have been arrested under the National Security Law and 57 have been formally charged, with the first case coming to trial later this week.

This will be an important test of independence for Hong Kong's judiciary in its willingness to uphold Hong Kong's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in accordance with the basic law, Bachelet said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
Winklevoss-Led Gemini to Slash a Quarter of Jobs and Exit European and Australian Markets
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
NASA allows astronauts to take smartphones on upcoming missions to capture special moments.
Trump administration to launch TrumpRx.gov for direct drug purchases
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Epstein Case Documents Reignite Global Scrutiny of Political and Business Elites
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
UK Royal Family Faces Intensifying Strain as Epstein-Linked Revelations Rock the Institution
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Tech Mega-Donors Power Trump-Aligned Fundraising Surge to $429 Million Ahead of 2026 Midterms
UK Pharma Watchdog Rules Sanofi Breached Industry Code With RSV Vaccine Claims Against Pfizer
Melania Documentary Opens Modestly in UK with Mixed Global Box Office Performance
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
×