Written Question·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·UIN 77079

China: Religious Freedom

Tabled: 15 September 2025
Answered: 14 October 2025
Named Day

Question

Brendan O'Hara

Scottish National PartyArgyll, Bute and South Lochaber

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on (a) Christian churches in that country and (b) the arrest of (i) priests and (ii) laypersons from that community;

Answer

Seema Malhotra
The Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and we continue to engage with Chinese counterparts on the restriction of those freedoms, including the arbitrary arrest of Christians for practicing their faith.