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<p>We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in
China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically
targeted. The British Government continues to take these reports extremely seriously.</p><p>These
reports include the 2016 update to the Kilgour, Matas and Gutmann report and other
information provided so far to the ongoing tribunal organised by the International
Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China and chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC. We
continue to scrutinise the situation carefully and review new information as it becomes
available. At present, however, our assessment is that there is not a strong enough
evidential base to substantiate the claim that systematic state-sponsored or sanctioned
organ harvesting is taking place in China.</p><p>The World Health Organisation (WHO)
is a specialised UN agency with an office in Beijing, which works with the Chinese
Government on a range of priority health issues. The WHO collates global data on organ
donations. We will update the WHO via our Embassy in Beijing on the issues raised
in the recent debate in Parliament, which included references to the 2016 update to
the report 'Bloody Harvest/The Slaughter' and waiting list times for organ transplants
in China. It would not be appropriate for us to make representations to the WHO to
attend a tribunal that is independent of government, although this of course does
not preclude the organisers of the tribunal from doing so.</p>
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