Written Question: Religious Persecution in China

Lord Moylan: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to reports of a recent raid of the Zion Church in Beijing and the arrest of Elder Qin Guoliang by Chinese authorities on 20 October 2024; and what steps they are taking in response to the persecution of unregistered churches in China and the continued crackdown on religious freedoms.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised human rights recently with their counterparts, President Xi and Foreign Minister Wang respectively. More broadly, this government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.