Australian foreign minister Marise Payne will raise concerns with China over Xinjiang internment camps during rare visit
- Payne said she will register “serious concerns” over the huge facilities in the region, where activists say up to a million people are being detained
Australia’s concerns over internment camps in China’s far west, where rights groups say up to a million people are being held without charge, will be raised this week when the country’s foreign minister visits Beijing.
Marise Payne said on Tuesday she will register “serious concerns” over the huge facilities in Xinjiang, where activists say hundreds of thousands of Uygurs and other mainly Muslim minorities are detained in political re-education camps.
The visit is the first by an Australian foreign minister in almost three years, as Canberra and Beijing seek to move past a period of awkward diplomatic relations.
“Obviously we have a very substantial relationship, and it works in the interests of both sides and we’re committed to building on our comprehensive strategic partnership,” Payne told Australian national broadcaster ABC.
While China is Australia’s largest trading partner, ties between the two governments have been strained in recent years over allegations Beijing was interfering in domestic politics and using donations to gain access.
But amid a growing trade dispute between the US and China, Payne’s visit is seen as an opportunity for Canberra to leverage its economic relationship.