Rights Group Urges Finland’s Prime Minister to Raise Uyghur Forced Labor During China Visit

HELSINKI (UNN) — Human Rights Watch urged Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to raise concerns about the treatment of Uyghurs during his upcoming visit to China, warning that closer trade ties should not come at the expense of serious human rights abuses.

In a statement released ahead of Orpo’s January 25–28 trip, the organization described China as “one of the world’s most abusive governments, both at home and abroad.”

Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities rely on “arbitrary detention, pervasive surveillance, and forced labor of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.” The group said the scale of these practices “may amount to crimes against humanity.”

The organization warned that forced labor targeting Uyghurs also has consequences beyond China. It said such practices “pose problems for Finnish industries,” particularly in clean energy and technology, where companies risk links to abusive supply chains as the European Union prepares to enforce a ban on forced-labor imports.

Beyond the situation facing Uyghurs, Human Rights Watch said China’s broader human rights record should not be ignored during high-level engagement. The group pointed to shrinking freedoms, harsh punishment for peaceful criticism, and growing efforts by Chinese authorities to silence critics outside the country, including in Europe.

The statement also criticized Finland’s Joint Action Plan with China for emphasizing trade, innovation, and green technology while making only “vague references to human rights.” According to the group, this approach fails to reflect how repression inside China increasingly affects democratic countries abroad.

Human Rights Watch said Orpo’s visit would be “a test of whether Finland can navigate between two major powers while defending its own core interests,” which it said should include respect for human rights and democratic values.

The Human Rights Watch call comes as other Western leaders have recently traveled to China. In mid-January, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing as Canada looked to reset ties. Rights groups later criticized the trip, saying Uyghur rights were not publicly raised.

The warning also follows a statement from UN human rights experts, who warned China’s state-run labor transfer programs targeting Uyghurs and others may amount to crimes against humanity. China has rejected those claims.