Richard Burgon grilled by Dale for not condemning China
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The Labour MP was called out by Conservative MP Tim Loughton and LBC host Iain Dale for dodging calls to condemn the Chinese Communist Party. Mr Burgon was asked whether he believed China has committed genocide against the country’s Muslim minority Uyghur population but refused to give a definitive answer. The Labour MP was pressed repeatedly by Mr Loughton for a clear condemnation of Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province.
The Labour MP refused a total of six times to address the issue of the alleged Uyghur genocide, opting to instead accuse the Conservative MP of looking to create a “political storm.”
It comes after MPs in Parliament voted in April to recognise Uyghurs as having been the victims of a genocide.
Mr Dale confronted the Labour MP, saying: “I haven’t heard one single condemnation of anything the Chinese government has done.”
“Including on the environment,” added Mr Loughton.
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“29 percent of greenhouse gases are produced by China way in above any other nation,” he continued.
“In the last 11 years they burned more coal than the whole of the rest of the world put together, they are going the wrong way on climate change.
“We need to call them out, not say we all need to sit down and be nice to them.”
“So call them out Richard not are allies in America and elsewhere,” demanded the Conservative MP.
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Mr Burgon replied: “Action is needed from China and from the United States, and from the UK on climate change.
“However, there is a line which is incorrect, that somehow people believe that per head of the population in China that carbon footprint is greater than ours.
“That’s not true, the average person in China has a smaller…”
Mr Loughton cut off the Labour MP: “Stop defending China!”
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Mr Burgon continued: “China is a superpower, of course, there will be things on which we profoundly disagree with them.
“Of course, our government has to hold its allies and other countries to count on human rights abuses and those discussions need to take place.”
“Do you believe [China] committed genocide?” Mr Loughton pressed again without a response.
“Why do you find it so difficult to utter one word of condemnation about anything to do with China? I find it astonishing” Mr Dale concluded.
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