China opposes Uighur activist's Australia visit

BEIJING – China says it opposes an exiled Uighur activist's upcoming visit to Australia, calling her a separatist.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu did not say Thursday if China would take any action in retaliation against Australia for allowing Rebiya Kadeer to visit. Kadeer is a U.S.-based ethnic Uighur from China's west.

Jiang said China firmly opposed any country that provides a stage for Kadeer's activities and that Beijing believes the government in Australia was clear about China's position.

Kadeer has championed the rights of her Chinese minority Muslim group since the late 1990s. After she visited Australia in 2009, China retaliated by canceling a top diplomat's trip to attend a summit of 16 Pacific leaders and a bilateral meeting.