London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 26, 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
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
Department of Health and Social Care Announces One Hundred and Forty Million Pound Boost for Urgent Care
British Services Sector Records Strongest Growth in Eight Months Despite Broader Economic Uncertainty
United Kingdom Retail Sales Suffer Unexpected Decline as Consumer Confidence Plummets
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham Urges National Debate on Restoring European Union Free Movement
Deep Cabinet Divisions Emerge Over Controversial Approval of North Sea Fossil Fuel Projects
United Kingdom Government Urges Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies in National Resilience Pivot
Storm Boelo Kills Two People and Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands Across Great Britain
Critical Software Flaw Forces Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Offline Amid Mass Security Warnings
UK Consumer Confidence Tumbles Amid Rising Energy Costs and Global Commodity Price Pressures
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Production from Jackdaw Gas Field to Bolster Domestic Energy Security
Storm Boelo Leaves Tens of Thousands of Households Without Power Across Scotland and Northern Ireland
UK Government Launches National Be Ready Campaign Urging Households to Prepare Three Days of Emergency Supplies
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Water Quality Regulations for British Rivers
Welsh Government Launches Major Renewable Energy Initiative to Expand Offshore Wind Capacity Along the Coast
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Agreement on Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Modernization Plan
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Increase in British Retail Sales Driven by Autumn Discounts
Scottish First Minister Announces Emergency Housing Strategy to Tackle Severe Homelessness Across Urban Centers
Automotive Industry Leaders in the United Kingdom Urge Government Support for Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Transition
United Kingdom and European Union Initiate High-Level Negotiations on Post-Brexit Defense and Security Pact
National Health Service England Introduces Sweeping Digital Reforms to Reduce Hospital Waiting Lists Nationwide
Chancellor of the Exchequer Outlines Emergency Fiscal Measures to Address Local Government Funding Crises Across England
Bank of England Governor Warns of Persistent Inflation Pressures Impacting Interest Rate Decisions in the United Kingdom
UK Conservative Party Suspends Former Electoral Candidate Following Undercover Investigation
Actors and Writers Condemn British Anti Terror Legislation Targeting Activist Groups and Free Speech
Central Bank and Treasury Monitor Inflation Risks as International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast
Storm Boelo Batters British Isles With Eighty Mile Per Hour Winds Causing Widespread Power Outages
British Intelligence Services and Technology Firms Partner to Counter Artificial Intelligence Enabled Cybersecurity Threats
UK Consumer Confidence Falls at Fastest Rate Since Brexit Vote as Cost of Living Intensifies
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Landmark Autumn Budget Focused on Devolution and Fiscal Rules
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Reach Consensus on Shared Economic Development Priorities to Stimulate Regional Growth in Belfast
Department for Business and Trade Finalizes Conditional Support Package for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in Newport
Welsh Government Unveils Regional Industrial Development Strategy to Attract Green Energy Investment to South Wales Manufacturing Hubs
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes Diplomatic Mission to European Capital Cities to Strengthen Post-Brexit Defense Cooperation
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Regulatory Compliance Standards for Water Utilities Across England
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Wage Growth Stabilization and Resilient Employment Figures Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Government and Trade Union Representatives Reach Tentative Pay Agreement for Public Sector Transport Workers in Edinburgh
National Health Service England Announces Emergency Capital Funding Allocation to Reduce Winter Emergency Department Bottlenecks
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Treasury Officials Finalize Urgent Fiscal Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming National Budget
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
×