Defiant Johnson tells China: ‘I stand behind sanctioned MPs’

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Politicians facing Beijing ban for views on Uighurs are welcomed to Rose Garden

Boris Johnson has made an orchestrated gesture of defiance to Beijing, and of support for its critics, by on Saturday meeting a cross-party group of MPs and peers sanctioned by China for their stance on human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Barely a month ago, the prime minister declared himself “fervently Sinophile”, determined to pursue trade and investment deals with Beijing “whatever the occasional political difficulties”.

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