China Condemns Canadian Parliament's Call To Declare Treatment Of Uyghurs Genocide

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2021) China condemns the Canadian parliament's call on the Trudeau government to declare Beijing's actions with respect to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province genocide, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

Canada's House of Commons adopted the motion in 266-0 vote on Monday, with Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau abstaining on behalf of the government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and more than 60 members of the governing Liberal Party were absent from the vote.

"In total disregard of facts and common sense, the Xinjiang-related motion passed by Canada's House of Commons has deliberately smeared China and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs. The Chinese side strongly condemns and firmly opposes that and has lodged solemn representations with the Canadian side," Wenbin said on Tuesday.

Wenbin emphasized that China's activities that are at the heart of Western criticism are part of its counter-radicalization programs conducted in accordance with United Nations norms and standards. Wenbin added that any activities in Xianjing province are China's sovereign affair and called on Ottawa not to interfere.

Despite the overwhelming parliamentary support, the difficulty in enforcing the motion and the Trudeau's previous comments suggest swift action on the motion is unlikely. Trudeau has previously cautioned against liberally using the word "genocide," saying that it is a term guided by strict international guidelines and that misuse of it would weaken the designation.

Following the vote, Garneau said that Canada takes allegations of genocide very seriously but called for an international investigation into the matter.