China’s human rights record criticised at UN as it faces rare scrutiny of policies

China’s UN ambassador, Chen Xu (R), waits along with the Chinese delegation for the UN Human Rights Council's universal periodic review in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA

The UK, the US and several other countries criticised China’s human rights record on Tuesday as the country was subjected to rare scrutiny of its policies at the United Nations.

The UK called on China to “cease the persecution and arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and allow genuine freedom of religion or belief and cultural expression without fear of surveillance, torture, forced labour or sexual violence”, while the US said China should “release all arbitrarily detained individuals” and cease the operation of “forcible assimilation policies including boarding schools in Tibet and Xinjiang”.