UK lawmakers to be lifted from China's sanctions list after diplomatic visit
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that China has lifted sanctions on six serving British MPs and peers, who were targeted for highlighting human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghur communities. The move comes after a landmark visit to Beijing by Starmer, where he engaged with Chinese President Xi Jinping in talks over warming relations.
The sanctions, introduced in 2021, had banned nine UK citizens from entering China, including five Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords. They were imposed in response to what China called "lies and disinformation" about human rights abuses in Xinjiang province.
However, Starmer said that he raised concerns over the sanctions during his visit, and President Xi told him they no longer applied. The affected parliamentarians stated that they would continue to speak out against human rights abuses, despite the lifting of sanctions.
Critics argue that the selective lifting of sanctions on sitting parliamentarians is "wrong", and some remain subject to the measures, including their families. A group of parliamentarians who were sanctioned have expressed their commitment to standing in solidarity with Uyghur people and civil society organisations targeted by China.
The development comes after a charm offensive by China aimed at improving ties with the UK and reviving talks over a trade deal with Brussels. The move also marks a significant shift in relations between China and the UK, which had been strained following US President Donald Trump's comments on dealing with Beijing.
The lifting of sanctions is seen as a positive step towards warming relations, but critics argue that it does not address the underlying issues of human rights abuses in Xinjiang province. The issue remains at the forefront of international attention, with many countries and human rights groups continuing to call for action against China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
The UK government has yet to comment on whether sanctions will be lifted on other individuals or entities, but Starmer suggested that President Xi would be welcome in the UK when it hosts the G20 summit next year. The development is seen as a significant step towards improving relations between China and the UK, but its long-term implications remain uncertain.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that China has lifted sanctions on six serving British MPs and peers, who were targeted for highlighting human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghur communities. The move comes after a landmark visit to Beijing by Starmer, where he engaged with Chinese President Xi Jinping in talks over warming relations.
The sanctions, introduced in 2021, had banned nine UK citizens from entering China, including five Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords. They were imposed in response to what China called "lies and disinformation" about human rights abuses in Xinjiang province.
However, Starmer said that he raised concerns over the sanctions during his visit, and President Xi told him they no longer applied. The affected parliamentarians stated that they would continue to speak out against human rights abuses, despite the lifting of sanctions.
Critics argue that the selective lifting of sanctions on sitting parliamentarians is "wrong", and some remain subject to the measures, including their families. A group of parliamentarians who were sanctioned have expressed their commitment to standing in solidarity with Uyghur people and civil society organisations targeted by China.
The development comes after a charm offensive by China aimed at improving ties with the UK and reviving talks over a trade deal with Brussels. The move also marks a significant shift in relations between China and the UK, which had been strained following US President Donald Trump's comments on dealing with Beijing.
The lifting of sanctions is seen as a positive step towards warming relations, but critics argue that it does not address the underlying issues of human rights abuses in Xinjiang province. The issue remains at the forefront of international attention, with many countries and human rights groups continuing to call for action against China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
The UK government has yet to comment on whether sanctions will be lifted on other individuals or entities, but Starmer suggested that President Xi would be welcome in the UK when it hosts the G20 summit next year. The development is seen as a significant step towards improving relations between China and the UK, but its long-term implications remain uncertain.
. I mean, it's like, you've got these six parliamentarians who were targeted for speaking out against human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, and now they're free to travel again 
. But at the same time, critics are saying that this move is selective and doesn't really address the underlying issues 
.
. I mean, the UK government's not commenting on whether sanctions will be lifted on other individuals or entities, which is a bit suspicious 
.
, but we'll have to wait and see how it all plays out in the long run 
. One thing's for sure, though: the issue of human rights abuses in Xinjiang province is still a major concern for many countries and human rights groups 
#HumanRightsMatter #ChinaUKRelations
. And it's not like these politicians are apologizing for anything or promising to keep quiet 
. They're still gonna speak out against what they see as wrong, which is fair enough I guess 
.
. It feels like there's some sort of special treatment going on here 
. And what about their families? Are they affected by this too? 
... I guess only time will tell if this is the start of something real or just another attempt to smooth things over 
so like china just lifted sanctions on some british mp's and it feels like they got away scot free lol idk about this tho, i mean i love keir starmer and all but isnt this kinda sketchy? 
. It's like, what's next? Are we gonna start inviting China to dinner parties in Parliament and forget about human rights issues? 
Not trying to be negative, but it feels like a big move with some major loopholes 
...
so china's all like "oh yeah we're gonna lift these sanctions on some british parliamentarians" and it's not even that big of a deal 
they were basically just saying sorry and waving their hands like it's no biggie, meanwhile the families of those parliamentarians are still stuck out 
and people are still being tortured in xinjiang province... seems kinda one-sided to me 
it's like they're trying to silence them or something 
but at the same time, it's also kinda a good thing that relations between china and the uk are warming up 
maybe now we'll see more talk about what's really going on in xinjiang 
but i'm not convinced yet 
It's like China's just playing a game of "who can be friends with whom"... and I'm not sure I trust it. 
. On one hand, it's great that they're willing to engage with the UK on warming relations and trade 
.
. China's trying to present itself as a reasonable and progressive partner in international relations, but it's hard to take that seriously when they're essentially getting away with human rights abuses 
. It shows that both sides are willing to engage in diplomacy and find common ground 
.
but I gotta wonder if this is gonna be enough to really fix things? I mean, just 'cause Starmer had a chat with Xi doesn't necessarily mean China's gonna start treating the Uyghur Muslims any better 