German FM to raise Uighur concerns on China visit

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will raise human rights issues in Xinjiang province of China on his upcoming visit to the country, his spokesperson said on Friday.

“From our point of view, the situation in Xinjiang is worrying. Foreign Minister Maas will raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart,” Maria Adebahr told a news conference in Berlin.

Adebahr said during the visit beginning on Sunday, delegations will also review preparations for the next human rights dialogue meeting between Germany and China, which is scheduled for December.

On Thursday, German lawmakers called on China to end repressive policies against Uighur Muslims in northwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region of the country.

During a debate at the parliament, lawmakers from opposition parties and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government, urged Chinese authorities to end massive surveillance in the region, and abolish arbitrary detention of up to one million people in internment camps.