OIC Delegation Visits China, Eyes Xinjiang Situation

JEDDAH (IQNA) – A delegation of 25 representatives from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) landed in China on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and the status of the Muslim community in the country, the OIC said in a statement.

The delegation, led by Djibouti's Ambassador to the OIC Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama, met with China's Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li and officials of the Communist Party of China. They exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest, including health and education.

The statement also said that the delegation planned to visit Xinjiang, a north-western province of China where most of the ethnic Uyghur population lives. China has been accused of human rights violations and repression against the Uyghurs, but Beijing has denied such allegations.

"The OIC delegation plans to visit Xinjiang to observe the living conditions of the Muslim community in the area," the statement said.

The OIC is a 57-member bloc of Muslim-majority countries, currently chaired by Saudi Arabia, which is also part of the delegation. The OIC said that the visit aimed to strengthen the "strategic partnership between the OIC, its member states and the People’s Republic of China."

Source: Agencies