China's new ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, was barred from attending a meeting in the UK Parliament on Wednesday. The decision to stop the diplomat Zeguang was taken by the Speakers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. In fact, the British MP was very angry with the invitation to the Chinese ambassador, in view of which this action was taken. Zheng was scheduled to attend the summer reception of the all-party Parliamentary China Group and the China-UK Business Council in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening. The All-Party Parliamentary China Group is a group of lawmakers seeking good relations with Beijing. The British Parliament has taken this action at a time when tensions between the two countries have increased.
This whole matter is related to the violation of human rights of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. China banned the travel of British lawmakers and their family members in March. They were also forbidden to enter China or the British colony east of Hong Kong.
British lawmakers Ian Duncan Smith, Nuss Ghani, and Tim Lawton welcomed the decision to ban Zheng. The three MPs issued statements saying it would have been an insult to Parliament and the principle of free speech on which democracy is founded. Those lawmakers who raised the issue of human rights violations by China were banned from entering the Chinese border.
China cracked down on British lawmakers after the United States, Canada. The European Union imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, blaming China for human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has consistently denied allegations of human rights violations of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
At the same time, China has strongly condemned this act of the British Parliament on the Chinese ambassador. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, it was said that this step taken by the Parliament of Britain could affect the relationship between the two countries.
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