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China raises situations of Muslims in Europe at meeting with EU

BRUSSELS, June 25 (KUNA) -- The European Union and China held the 32nd round of the "EU-China Dialogue on Human Rights" in Guiyang, China, Tuesday and discussed a wide range of human rights issues.
An EU statement released in Brussels said the dialogue was conducted "in a frank atmosphere." It provided an opportunity for the EU to express concerns about what is happening in China regarding the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities; deprivation of liberty, criminal and administrative punishment, it noted.
For its part, the Chinese side raised a number of questions, including the treatment of minorities in Europe, including Roma people and Muslims, as well as specific incidents involving Chinese nationals in some EU Member States, it said.
China also asked questions about the extent to which the financial crisis is affecting social and economic rights, including access to healthcare, education and housing, and exacerbating xenophobia in Europe.
They also exchanged views on the country situations currently on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, including Burma/Myanmar, North Korea and Syria. (end) nk.bs KUNA 252202 Jun 13NNNN