BEIJING, China — China hit back on Monday at comments by Britain’s foreign secretary that accused Beijing of “gross” human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minorities in the northwest region of Xinjiang. ADVERTISEMENTBritish Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC on Sunday that it was “clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on… it is deeply, deeply troubling.”But foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called the comments “nothing but rumours and slander”. Exiled Uighurs this month called for the International Criminal Court in the Hague to investigate China for genocide and crimes against humanity, filing a huge dossier accusing China of rights abuses including forcibly sterilising women. The two sides have also clashed over China’s imposition of a controversial national security law in Hong Kong — including offering a possible route to UK citizenship for some Hong Kong residents. Wang said Monday that Beijing would “oppose interference in Hong Kong affairs by outside forces” and that judicial independence was “not affected” by the new security law.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 20, 2020 10:27 UTC