First Minister Pressed To Raise Human Rights On Visit To China

First Minister Pressed To Raise Human Rights On Visit To China

Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to speak up for human rights on her upcoming visit to China.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie pressed the First Minister to raise individual cases of abuse identified by Human Rights Watch when she visits the country next month.

He highlighted the fall-out from the Scottish Government’s controversial memorandum of understanding with two state-backed Chinese firms in 2016, which collapsed amid human-rights concerns.

At First Minister’s Questions, Mr Rennie called for reassurances the human-rights record of companies Ms Sturgeon is due to meet with on her trip had been checked.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I’ll speak up for human rights in China as I did on my last visit to China. I will do the same on this visit to China.

“I bow to nobody in my determination to play my part internationally in promoting human rights across the world and I would hope that that was something that would unite everybody across this chamber.”

The First Minister said she would also speak up for Scottish “companies, jobs, tourism and food and drink” during the trip.