LONDON: Britain said on Friday that China was targeting critics with sanctions and called on Beijing to allow international access to Xinjiang to verify the truth about human rights abuses in the province.

“It speaks volumes that, while the UK joins the international community in sanctioning those responsible for human rights abuses, the Chinese government sanctions its critics,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

“If Beijing want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full access to verify the truth.”