London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 22, 2026

UK must match rhetoric with action on China’s treatment of Uyghurs, say MPs

UK must match rhetoric with action on China’s treatment of Uyghurs, say MPs

Foreign affairs committee calls for import ban on products from Xinjiang, where it says there is ‘industrial-scale forced labour’
Britain must act to stop China’s atrocities against Uyghur Muslims by banning the import of Chinese cotton and solar panels from Xinjiang province, as well as by announcing that no government officials will attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a report by MPs says.

The chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said that without action the UK would be allowing China “to nest the dragon deeper and deeper into British life”.

The committee’s report says the government’s often tough rhetoric over “the industrial-scale forced labour schemes in Xinjiang” is not matched by effective action.

The MPs accuse ministers of setting lax requirements on companies to remove forced labour from their supply chains, failing to sanction the Chinese official most responsible for mass atrocities, and failing after six months to publish “an urgent review” of UK trade controls from Xinjiang.

They also urge ministers to join the UK parliament in describing what is happening as genocide, saying the tactics of naming and shaming has been shown to be more effective than closed-door diplomacy.

A special fast-track asylum system for Uyghurs is also proposed. The all-party report also calls for technology firms underpinning what is described as Xinjiang’s police state to be banned from the UK.

The report is certain to provoke an angry reaction from the Chinese government, but one committee member, Alicia Kearns, said MPs could not shy away from making criticisms.

Kearns said: “It’s time for big boy politics. You cannot work with any partner on a best friend basis. We are the mother of all parliaments and if we are not willing to speak up for those that others seek to silence, then what parliament is going to do it?”

The report says: “The Chinese government is responsible for the mass detention of more than a million Uyghurs, for forcing them into industrial-scale forced labour programmes, and for attempting to wipe out Uyghur and Islamic culture in the region through forced sterilisation of women, destruction of cultural sites, and separation of children from families.

“The mass incarcerations and connected factories and farms mean it should be assumed that any product originating from Xinjiang is the product of forced labour. While much focus has been placed on the textile and apparel sector, other areas such as solar energy, agriculture and electronics also bear a substantial risk of using forced labour.”

It says as many as 570,000 people are forced to pick cotton, often paid little to nothing.

As a remedy it proposes that “until there can be definitive proof that products are not tainted by forced labour, UK companies and consumers should not be purchasing them”. It also calls for a government import ban on cotton and other products sourced to forced labour, something Tugendhat said was in compliance with WTO rules.

More than 80% of China’s cotton comes from Xinjiang, and China provides a quarter of the world’s cotton products. Similarly, 40% of UK solar panels have Xinjiang-sourced materials.

The report also proposes that “the British Olympic Association does not participate in the opening or closing Beijing 2022 ceremonies, beyond one representative carrying the union flag. It should abstain from sending government officials to any ceremonies or functions, strongly discourage UK businesses from sponsoring or advertising at the Olympics, encourage fans and tourists to stay away, and discourage athletes from supporting or accepting the Chinese government’s propaganda efforts.”

The report calls for a ban on the use in Britain of surveillance equipment supplied by the Chinese firm Hikvision, saying the firm operates in Xinjiang and so has helped turn the province into “a modern police state where advanced technology is deployed to support an unprecedented level of surveillance, invasion of privacy and repression”.

At the same time the report praises the government’s diplomatic efforts to raise the issue internationally, and accuses China of using its belt and road initiative as a means of putting pressure on many Islamic countries not to speak out against the atrocities in Xinjiang.

Tugendhat, who has already been personally subject to Chinese government sanctions, said there was a growing need to adopt a tough approach. “We are seeing a growing nationalism in China and we need to be cautious that what we are not doing is being seen to be feeding the crocodile and hoping to be eaten last.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The evidence of the scale and the severity of the human rights violations being perpetrated in Xinjiang against the Uyghur Muslims is far-reaching, and paints a truly harrowing picture.

“The UK government has led international efforts to hold China to account for its human rights violations in Xinjiang at the UN. We will carefully consider the findings of this report.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson to Raise Pension Concerns Over British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
UK Parliament to Debate Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Following Public Petition
Met Office Warns of Water Safety Risks During Heatwave as Temperatures Peak in England
Treasury Increases Mileage Allowance Payments for 2026–27 Tax Year to 55 Pence Per Mile
UK Government Raises Electricity Generator Levy to 55 Percent in New Revenue Measure
House of Lords Moves Financial Services and Markets Bill to Committee Stage Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Westminster Hall to Debate Petition on Pro-Israel Influence in UK Politics
UK Parliament Prepares for Estimates Days Debates as Backbench Business Schedule Approved
Armed Forces Bill Nears Final Stages in UK House of Commons With Military Justice Reforms
Donald Trump Comments on UK Political Situation, Citing Immigration and Energy Policy Concerns
Andy Burnham By-Election Victory Fuels Speculation Over Potential Labour Leadership Contest
UK Economy Shows Resilience but Faces Headwinds from Middle East Tensions, UK Finance Says
UK Parliament Opens Week of Debates on Net Zero, Security and Armed Forces Reform
Met Office Issues Amber Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Expected to Reach 35C Across England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Leadership Pressure After Makerfield By-Election Defeat
London Hotel Wins World’s Best Afternoon Tea Award at International Hospitality Guide La Liste
Court of Appeal Rules in Favour of Competition and Markets Authority in Phenytoin Drug Case
Chichester Waste Site Suspended After Environment Agency Finds Serious Fire and Pollution Risks
UK Appoints Chris Elmore as Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
Environment Agency Fines Yorkshire Firms Nearly £470,000 for Environmental Permit Breaches
British Chambers of Commerce Says Post-Brexit Trade Deals Have Limited Economic Impact
Resident Doctors to Vote on Government Pay Offer in Ongoing NHS Dispute
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £46.3 Billion in Early Fiscal Year, Driven by Debt Interest Costs
UK Government Unveils £100 Million Package to Strengthen Fire and Rescue Response Capacity
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Despite Easing Inflation
Met Office Extends Amber Heat Warning as Temperatures Forecast to Reach 38C Across Southern England
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Expected to Resign Amid Mounting Labour Party Pressure
UK Government Tightens Procurement Rules to Prioritise National Security and Supply Chain Resilience
National Drought Group Reviews Water Supply Risks After Dry Spring and Ongoing Heatwave
Andy Burnham Faces Leadership Speculation After Weak Local Election Results for Labour
Charity Commission Appoints Interim Managers to Barnabas Aid Amid Financial Investigation
Government Awards £27 Million Leonardo UK Contract to Maintain Military Aircraft Fleet
Environment Agency Suspends Chichester Waste Site Permit Over Fire and Pollution Risks
Border Force Seizes Record Cannabis Shipment in Major UK Criminal Network Disruption
Lloyds Banking Group to Hire 300 Artificial Intelligence Specialists in Digital Expansion Push
UK Government Introduces Alcohol Monitoring Tags for 7,000 Offenders Ahead of Summer Sporting Season
Resident Doctors in England Prepare Vote on Government Pay and Working Conditions Offer
Police Scotland Investigates Suspected Anti-Muslim Attacks in Edinburgh Following Arrest
Met Office Issues Rare Amber Extreme Heat Warning Across Southern and Eastern England
UK Government Unveils Digital Homebuying Reforms to Cut Costs and Speed Up Property Transactions
Train Driver Dies and 89 Injured in Rail Collision Near Bedford as Safety Investigation Begins
Long-Term Economic and Political Effects of Brexit Continue to Shape UK Policymaking
Digital Disinformation Emerges as a Growing National Security Challenge in the United Kingdom
Britain's Dependence on Global Energy Routes Drives Push for More Resilient Supply Chains
Rising Energy Costs Continue to Threaten Britain's Cost-of-Living Recovery
Concerns Grow Over Far-Right Organizing and AI-Driven Online Radicalization in Britain
UK-Led Global Partnerships Conference Calls for Reform of International Development Finance
Middle East Tensions Continue to Weigh on UK Business Confidence
Reports of Middle East Peace Deal Ease Pressure on UK Energy Prices
UK Warns Middle East Conflict Could Worsen Global Food Insecurity
×