The Dutch parliament has accused the Chinese government of committing genocide against the Uighurs.
A large majority in the House of Representatives declared that "genocide is taking place in China against the Uighur minority" late on Thursday evening.
Foreign Minister Stef Blok said that the government is still refusing to call the crackdown on the Muslim minority a genocide as this would first have to be established by an international court or the UN.
However, there are "large-scale violations of the human rights of Uighurs living in the north-western region of Xinjiang," Blok said.
China condemned the statement as interference in the country's internal affairs.
The accusations are "outright lies," the Chinese embassy in The Hague said. The motion "deliberately smeared China and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs."
Earlier, the parliament called on the government to advocate for European sanctions against Chinese companies involved in human rights abuses against the Uighurs.
However, a resolution in favour of relocating the 2022 Winter Olympics, which are to be held in Beijing, failed to gain a majority.
Experts have estimated at least 1 million Uighurs, Kazakhs, Huis and other minorities in China have been placed in political indoctrination camps for seemingly arbitrary reasons such as praying or travelling abroad.
