To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take, if any, (1) to introduce sanctions on companies in China involved in the harvesting of genetic data, or (2) take other steps to ensure that UK businesses are not engaged with such companies.
Answered on
11 February 2022
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values and takes account of national security concerns. We have published guidance to help cutting-edge UK firms negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial questions they may encounter in China or when working with Chinese businesses, supporting safe and appropriate UK-China collaboration in the digital and technology space.
Our overseas business risk guidance also makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in Xinjiang, and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence and consider their corporate responsibilities when making business decisions.
The Government has also previously imposed sanctions on Chinese actors responsible for the human rights violations in Xinjiang. We continue to keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.