Mosque leaders in Wakefield were among critics of Nanning City and Xiangyang friendships

Wakefield Council abandoned its sister city agreements with Nanning City and Xiangyang this week amid international criticism of China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

It's thought that the local authority may be the first in the UK to abandon ties with China over the issue.

The decision was taken after the council started a public consultation and asked specifically for the views of Wakefield's Muslim community.

It followed calls from the district's sole Liberal Democrat councillor, Tom Gordon, for the friendships to be ditched.

The authority's Labour leader, Denise Jeffery, told a full council meeting on Wednesday that she'd been "surprised and pleased" to receive 40 responses from local residents, and also, "A letter from the head of the mosques across the district saying we should cease the friendships".

Asked later if there was any chance of the relationships being rekindled at a later date, Coun Jeffery said: "I can't see that we will be doing anything else in the future to be honest.

"You never know, but this council and many others will not want to sign friendship deals while there is abuse, or alleged abuse, of the Muslim community."

Coun Gordon welcomed the council's decision, but criticised Coun Jeffery for having "put genocide out to consultation".

He said: "There is undeniable evidence of the horrendous treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China.

"This can't be disputed and I don't think any rational or right-minded person would seek to do that.

"We've seen the Chinese ambassador lie down the camera and say there's a good reason for Muslims to be handcuffed, hooded and marched onto trains.

"This has an awful echo if previous genocides that the world has seen and let's be clear that that's what this is - a genocide.

"This is not a party political issue. This is about what's right."

Two Conservative councillors argued against ending the relationships, with the opposition's group leader Nadeem Ahmed suggesting it would be more productive to raise concerns "in the spirit of friendship".

Fellow Tory Samantha Harvey, who helped forge the council's relationship with Nanning City in May last year, was even stronger in her criticism.

She said: "We should not reject these cities based on the circumstances of another region, 4,000km away from them.

"We would be furious if they decided to leave us because of the actions of London, when we were in the midst of forming plans, investments, and connections. This is the same concept.

"Whilst the morality of the council’s decision may be sound, the manner in which they have carried it out has been deeply unprofessional. It seems hasty and reactive, based on less than a handful opinions than genuine humanitarian worries.

"As a Chinese-born councillor, I have been labelled as a mouthpiece for Beijing. This is absurd. Firstly, I have no political power in China. I am a proud Yorkshire woman spent most of my adult life here working and living in the sunny Wakefield."

Local Democracy Reporting Service