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End the 'sister city' partnership between Bristol and Guangzhou

We the undersigned Call on the council to end the city of Bristol's 'sister city' partnership with the Chinese city of Guangzhou due to the evidence of ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and persistent and unacceptable attacks on the human rights and civil liberties of Hong Kongers.

Since 2001, Bristol has had a sister city agreement with the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Situated 130km from Hong Kong, Guangzhou is the largest metropolitan area in the People's Republic of China.

Sister city partnerships like these represent positive a cooperative bond between the two cities, promoting economic, social and cultural relations.

However, recent events propagated by the Chinese government has made a formal relationship and cooperation between Bristol and Guangzhou unacceptable.

Evidence suggests that the Chinese government is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, with thousands in the Xinjiang region disappearing and being forcibly sent to 'reeducation' camps. The evidence of purposeful ethnic cleansing by the Chinese government is overwhelming and the British government has committed to act.

In Hong Kong, the relationship between PRC and Hong Kong has broken down, with the authoritarian regime overriding democratically elected Hong Kong officials and rescinding on China's agreement with the UK to respect Hong Kong's special status. This has resulted in the arrests of journalist, politicians, and protestors, an attack on basic human rights and civil liberties. Sanctions have been placed on China for these reasons, and it is our belief that Bristol should likewise sever its ties to the Chinese state.

Started by: James Cox

This ePetition ran from 02/08/2020 to 02/08/2021 and has now finished.

11 people signed this ePetition.