This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Beijing has condemned comments from the Australian foreign minister arguing that China must be held accountable for its domestic human rights abuses, saying Marise Payne’s speech was “ill-informed” and damaging to already-strained relations between the countries.

In a wide-ranging and forthright speech on Tuesday night, Payne singled out China over its human rights abuses, in particular the detention of the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun on espionage charges, and the detention of a million Uighurs in Xinjiang province.

“Speaking our minds does not constitute interfering in another country,” Payne said. “Countries that respect and promote their citizens’ rights at home tend also to be better international citizens.”

Marise Payne says China must be held to account for human rights abuses Read more

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Payne’s remarks about Xinjiang had been made “in total disregard of facts to serve political purposes”.

“Such ill-advised remarks will not help to improve or grow relations with China. We have lodged stern representations to the Australian side and pointed out the inappropriate nature of her conduct.”

Payne’s speech compounds already acute strain between Beijing and Canberra, after comments from Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, that China was gaming World Trade Organization rules through its status as a “developing nation”, and allegations by his home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, that the Chinese Communist party engaged in cyber-attacks on Australian targets, stealing intellectual property and muzzling free speech.

From Beijing, Shuang said a “sound and stable China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of both peoples”.

“We hope the Australian side will learn from recent setbacks in our relations and meet China halfway rather than take one step forward and two steps backward.”

Furthering the strain, overnight Australia was also part of a 23-nation coalition at the UN which condemned the detention regime imposed upon Muslim Uighurs in China’s north-west, which has led to the detention of more than 1 million people while millions more are constantly surveilled.

“We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China,” the UK’s ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, said.

The 23 nations – including the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany and Japan – called on China to urgently implement recommendations by independent UN experts, “including by refraining from the arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim communities”.

They also said countries should uphold the principle of non-refoulement and not send refugees or asylum seekers back to China if they could face persecution.

China’s ambassador, Zhang Jun, described the accusations as baseless and a “gross interference in China’s internal affairs and deliberate provocation”. He said the comments would also be unhelpful for trade talks between the US and China, the success of which are seen as critical for the global economy.

In a show of support for Beijing, Belarus’s ambassador, Valentin Rybakov, addressed the UN general assembly rights committee on behalf of 54 countries, including China, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He praised Beijing’s respect and protection of rights in its counterterrorism and deradicalisation efforts in Xinjiang, and its commitment to openness and transparency by inviting diplomats, journalists and officials to the region.

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“Now safety and security have returned to Xinjiang and fundamental human rights of people of all ethnic groups there are safeguarded,” Rybakov said. “We commend China’s remarkable achievements in the field of human rights.”

Amnesty International’s Tim O’Connor told The Guardian minister Payne was right to call out China’s failure to protect or promote human rights, particularly those of vulnerable minorities such as Uighurs.

“The Australian foreign minister’s critique of China’s human rights record corrects Australia’s recent short-sighted practice of putting economic interests first, and recognises that if Australia fails to promote and protect human rights, we ultimately undermine the interests of the global community.”

In a speech in Melbourne this week, the former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby said the Australia-China relationship was at its lowest point since diplomatic relations began 46 years ago. Senior Australian politicians were being snubbed by their Chinese counterparts, he said, adding that the Canberra “security-intelligence-military establishment dominates China policy” in viewing Beijing as a threat.

Australia’s decision to ban Huawei from bidding to build the 5G network was a mistake, he said, and Australia’s opposition to China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure initiative was motivated by ideology.

“At present we have nothing other than megaphone diplomacy, which is usually counterproductive,” he said. “It is time for diplomats to be put back in charge of our foreign policy on China.”