UK's Cleverly expresses solidarity with lawmakers sanctioned by China

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read
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LONDON (Reuters) -Foreign minister James Cleverly on Thursday expressed solidarity with a group of British lawmakers sanctioned by China in 2021.

Cleverly said on Twitter that he met with elected members of parliament Nus Ghani, Tim Loughton, and House of Lords member Helena Kennedy.

The three were sanctioned in 2021 along with a number of others for spreading what China's foreign ministry said were "lies and disinformation" about alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

"China's sanctioning of UK Parliamentarians is deplorable ... They have my full support and I, with them, will continue to call out Chinese atrocities at home and abroad," Cleverly said.

The renewed condemnation of the sanctions comes days after sources said that he might visit China next month, a trip that could be a sign of headway in attempts to ease tensions relations with the world's second-largest economy.

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James)