China: Keir Starmer urges Boris Johnson to impose human rights sanctions

Boris Johnson is facing escalating pressure to impose human rights sanctions on China, as Sir Keir Starmer urged the government not to turn a blind eye to the “deeply disturbing” actions of Beijing.

Speaking earlier, the prime minister appeared to confirm the suspension of extradition arrangements with Hong Kong, but also hinted there would no US-style sanctions imposed on the country.

Amid growing tensions with Beijing over the draconian security law imposed on Hong Kong last month and concerns over the treatment of the Uighurs minority, Dominic Raab will update MPs on Monday.

The foreign secretary is expected to announce the UK will follow the example of the US, Canada and Australia and suspend an extradition treaty with Hong Kong because of the impact of the security law on the territory.

On Sunday, Mr Raab also accused the Chinese state of committing “gross, egregious human rights abuses” against the Muslim minority group in the country’s north-western Xinjiang province.

Ahead of his statement in the Commons, the Labour leader said: “What’s happening in China is deeply disturbing. And we can't turn a blind eye to it. We shouldn't turn a blind eye.

"What we have argued for is sanctions in this country against Chinese officials who have been involved in human rights abuses. That's something that could be done straight away.

“Of course there’s been a long and deep relationship between the Chinese people and the United Kingdom. But some of the actions of the government are deeply disturbing and we can’t turn a blind eye – we shouldn’t turn a blind eye.

Sir Keir continued: “We’ll look at what they say about extradition, but it looks like it will be a step in the right direction and therefore we will support that. We will say go further: you can impose sanctions and you should impose sanctions here in the UK.”

The former Tory cabinet minister David Davis also urged the government to go further, telling Sky News the suspension of the extradition treaty is a “good and symbolic first step”, but urged the PM to “work with our partners in the Five Eyes and other allies to take ethical, legal and responsible action”.

Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP, added: “China should be sanctioned for its treatment of the Uighur people. The government has a duty to do all we can to save them from genocide.”

Addressing the escalating diplomatic tensions between London and Beijing, Mr Johnson said on Monday: “There is a balance here. I’m not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China.”

“But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uighur minority obviously, about the human rights abuses.”

“We obviously have concerns about what’s happening in Hong Kong and you will be hearing a bit on from the foreign secretary about how we are going to change our extradition arrangements to reflect our concerns about what’s happening with the security law in Hong.”