6. Question No. 6—Foreign AffairsBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 6—Foreign Affairs6. BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What communications if any has she or her officials had with representatives of the Chinese Government regarding the term genocide" in relation to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs: It should come as no surprise to the member that Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials have engaged with representatives of the Chinese Government regarding the grave human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. I have made it clear that we continue to raise these concerns directly with China at all levels. For example New Zealand joined a statement alongside 38 other countries expressing our concerns about the human rights situations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong at the United Nations in New York. Given there has been a concern for a number of years about human rights violations it is only right that we would be engaging in urging China to allow unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent international observers including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. I have had no direct communications with the Chinese Government regarding the term "genocide". With respect to officials it is not possible to go through years of communications with Chinese representatives to see if the word "genocide" was mentioned. What is important though is to reiterate that the New Zealand Government has publicly stated its grave concerns at the growing number of credible reports of severe human rights abuses taking place in the region and we will continue to do so.Brooke van Velden: What communication if any did the Minister or her officials have on the wording of the original motion in my name with representatives of the Government of China?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Minister as I stated in the first answer the Minister herself has not had any direct communications.Brooke van Velden: What involvement if any did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have in advising on alternate wording for a parliamentary motion on the events occurring in Xinjiang?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Minister: the Minister as a member of the Labour Party discussed the member's original motion. The concern about the word "genocide" relates to the fact that the concept of genocide is an international law concept. It's one that requires significant investigation. New Zealand very rarely uses it and so therefore the discussion about the use of the word "genocide" relates specifically to that. As the member is well aware the wording was agreed by the Business Committee of Parliament.Brooke van Velden: Which members of Parliament if any did her office or officials communicate with relating to alternate wording to the original motion acknowledging the genocide in Xinjiang?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Minister I talked with my caucus colleagues as the member would expect. What is good here is that the New Zealand Parliament was able to agree a motion unlike many other Parliaments around the world. I thank the member for introducing that motion and I thank all members of the House for coming together to express our concerns about the credible reports of grave human rights abuses.Brooke van Velden: Does she still stand by her statement regarding human rights abuses in Xinjiang that "There is clear evidence of severe human rights abuses that include restrictions on freedom of religion mass surveillance large-scale extra-judicial detention as well as forced labour and forced birth control including sterilisation" and if so what further evidence would she need for her to recognise the situation as a genocide?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Minister I stand by all the statements I have made on this matter."