UK parliament declares genocide in China's Xinjiang; Beijing condemns move

Workers are seen on scaffolding on Elizabeth Tower, better known by the nickname for the Great Bell in the clock Big Ben, at the Houses of Parliament in central London on April 22, 2021 as the restoration project continues. - AFP

LONDON, April 22 (Reuters): Britain's parliament has called for the government to take action to end what lawmakers described as genocide in China's Xinjiang region, stepping up pressure on ministers to go further in their criticism of Beijing.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government again steered clear of declaring genocide over what it says are "industrial-scale" human rights abuses against the mainly Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang. Ministers say any decision on declaring a genocide is up to the courts.