Britain on Thursday defended the possibility that officials will hold talks with Erkin Tuniyaz, the governor of the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, amid outrage from lawmakers who have highlighted alleged rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims there.
Junior foreign office minister Leo Docherty said that Tuniyaz might visit Britain next week, though he had not been invited to London by the government and would not be "dignified" with a ministerial meeting.
