Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the well-being and whereabouts of Bishop James Su Zhimin; and what response they received when they last raised his incarceration with the government of China. (HL1)
Tabled on: 17 July 2024
Answer:
Baroness Chapman of Darlington:
The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians such as Bishop Su.
This Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all overseas. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.
The UK Government last raised Bishop Su’s case with the Chinese authorities in 2015. We urged the authorities to provide information on Su’s whereabouts and his health condition. Given the absence of any charges ever having been brought against him and his age , we urged the authorities to remove all restrictions on his freedom of movement and to allow access by members of his family.
Date and time of answer: 31 Jul 2024 at 16:49.
===================
SEE https://www.uscirf.gov/religious-prisoners-conscience/forb-victims-database/james-su-zhimin
