Residents say Sheffield Council should break its twin city agreement with Chengdu over human rights abuses
“The city you twin with should share common values, about human rights, about religious freedom”
Residents from Hong Kong are concerned about Sheffield Council's twin city agreement with Chengdu, claiming human rights violation "never stops" in China.
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Chengdu is one of the biggest cities in the province of Sichuan and has been twinned with Sheffield since 2010.
Residents who moved from Hong Kong to Sheffield in 2021 after the National Security Law was imposed are criticising Sheffield City Council's choice to stay twinned with Chengdu, saying the partnership endorses human rights abuses that take place across China.
The residents mentioned oppression of minority groups including Tibetan and Uyghurs, the arresting of up to 50 mainly young female authors for writing gay romance stories online in China, and Sheffield Hallam University halting research on Uyghur forced labour, due to intimidation from Beijing.
Clara Cheung, originally from Hong Kong and now based in Sheffield, said: “The city you twin with should share common values, about human rights, about religious freedom."
She pointed to Sheffield making a friendship agreement with Nablus in the West Bank in 2024 and twinning with Khmelnytskyi in Ukraine in 2022.
“Where is the standard?" she asked.
"We support the idea the local council previously twinned with one more city in Ukraine because of the war. The example of Palestine is about solidarity. Why don't we see more solidarity with British citizens in Hong Kong?
“Our position is, if you keep twinning with the city, according to your policy, at least you have to follow up on these human rights issues.”
The residents said there is "no right to say anything” against the regime in Hong Kong because of Beijing government control.
Clara said this even affects Chinese students in Sheffield.
She said in 2022, young people in China "decided they cannot be silent anymore" and held up blank A4 paper in public spaces as a protest.
She said some Chinese students in Sheffield also responded to that movement.
"We met some of them and tried to talk to them. Many of them don't want to talk to anyone," she said.
"One student came to a gathering with us, some Hong Kongers and local organisations, but she was wearing a mask and tried not to provide personal information.
"This is an example of how scared everyone is.
"If the council is showing such a friendly relationship with the Chengdu government, it's not only about business.
"You are showing the Chinese students here that this local government in Sheffield is aligning or endorsing the authoritarian government in China.
"They're helping with this suppression."
Clara and her friends do not plan to go back to Hong Kong "until it is liberated".
She said: "We want to be more vocal and help our friends because we all personally know people and friends in prison.
"The reason we come out of Hong Kong is to really speak for them.
"But for some Hong Kong people, because they have, for example elderly parents, they still really want to visit Hong Kong, they wish not to speak at all because it's just too difficult."
Leader of Sheffield Council, Fran Belbin, said: "The council recognises that concerns relating to freedom of religion and human rights in China are serious.
"The council acknowledges the resolution of the House of Commons on 22 April 2021, in which the House stated its belief that Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region were suffering crimes against humanity and genocide, and called on the Government to act.
"Responsibility for UK foreign policy, international human rights diplomacy and sanctions rests principally with national government.
"The council's international relationships operate at a city-to-city level and are primarily concerned with economic, educational, cultural and people-to-people links.
"Maintaining a relationship with a city does not imply formal endorsement of the policies or actions of that city’s national government.
"The council has previously reviewed the Chengdu relationship and decided to retain it.
"The council will continue to take account of relevant human rights and geopolitical considerations in its engagement with Chengdu.
"There are no current plans to terminate the Chengdu Twin City relationship."