UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet to visit China for six days next week

United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet will travel to China for six days starting from Monday. She will visit the cities of Kashgar and Urumqi in Xinjiang where China has been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including persecution of Uygurs and other ethnic Muslims. This will be the first visit to the country by a United Nations Human Rights Commissioner since 2005.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin today said at the regular press briefing in Beijing that Ms Bachelet would visit from Monday to Saturday at the invitation of the Chinese Government, without giving further details.

According to a statement released by Ms Bachelet’s office, she will meet a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels, as well as civil society organisations, business representatives and academics. Ms Bachelet will also deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University.

A five-member advance team from the Commissioner’s Office has been in China for almost a month to prepare for Ms Bachelet’s visit. The team arrived in Guangzhou in late April and was under quarantine required under China’s COVID-19 travel rules. After completing the quarantine, the team visited Xinjiang to make preparations for the trip, according to the UN statement. However, she will not be required to undergo quarantine according to the reports.