By Ben Kerrigan-
Senior Mps are calling for the Chinese government’s invitation to the Queen’s funeral should be withdrawn, some MPs and peers say.
Tory MPs Tim Loughton and Sir Iain Duncan Smith(pictured) are among those who have written to the foreign secretary to criticise the idea of inviting the Chinese government to the funeral.
The call comes after China last year sanctioned a string of MPs and peers over their condemnation of the country’s actions in Xinjiang. In fact, all the signatories are under sanction by China for their vocal criticism of the country, particularly over its treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority group.
According to state media, the Chinese president said he attached “great importance” to relations between the two countries and was “ready to work with King Charles III… to promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations”.
Mr Wang also on Monday visited the British embassy in Beijing with Britain’s ambassador to China, Caroline Wilson, to sign a book of condolence for the Queen.
Hundreds of heads of state and foreign dignitaries, including US President Joe Biden, are expected to attend, with invitations going out to heads of any state with which the UK has diplomatic relations.
However, the Mps are unimpressed with Mr. Wang’s interest in attending the funeral and have written to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his Lords counterpart, Lord McFall of Alcluith – to seek assurances that Chinese officials will not be allowed into the Palace of Westminster during their visit.
Extraordinary
They described the invite as “extraordinary” that the “architects” of genocide against the Uyghur minority had been invited.
Mr Loughton wrote to Sir Lindsay and Lord McFall – co-signed by Sir Iain, crossbench peer Lord Alton, and Labour peer Helena Kennedy – demanding that Chinese officials not be allowed onto the Parliamentary estate during their visit.
‘Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognize the genocide committed by the Chinese Government against the Uighur people it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred,’ the letter said.
On Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was “considering sending a high-level delegation” but did not specify who will be part of that delegation.
According to the South China Morning Post, Vice-President Wang is expected to arrive in London on Sunday ahead of the Queen’s funeral.
On Saturday, China’s President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to King Charles on his accession to the throne.
He said he was ready to work with the new monarch to improve mutual understanding and friendship between the UK and China.
Representatives of Russia, Belarus and Myanmar have not been invited to Monday’s funeral, while Syria, Venezuela and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have also been left out from the list of invites.
Some 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries, including US President Joe Biden, are expected to attend, with invitations going out to heads of any state with which the UK has diplomatic relations.
Last year, the House of Commons declared that a genocide was taking place against the Uyghurs in north-west China, with more than a million people estimated to have been detained at camps in the region of Xinjiang.
In their letter, the MPs and peers wrote: “We are greatly concerned to hear that the government of China has been invited to attend the state funeral next week, despite other countries Russia, Belarus and Myanmar being excluded.
“Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred.”
They added that it was “particularly inappropriate”, given seven parliamentarians had been sanctioned by the Chinese government and the ambassador had been barred from attending the Palace of Westminster.
“I hope you will agree that it would be wholly inappropriate that any representative of the Chinese government should be able to attend such an important occasion as the state funeral of our late monarch and that you can give us your assurance that the invitation will be immediately withdrawn,” the letter added.
The group have also written to the Lords and Commons speakers seeking assurances that no representative of the Chinese government would be allowed to come to the Palace of Westminster, saying this would be “wholly inappropriate”.