Beijing (TIP): China said on January 14 it gained support on issues, including the treatment of Uighur Muslims, from a number of Persian Gulf states following talks between their foreign ministers at which they agreed to upgrade relations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the ministers and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf expressed firm support for China’s “legitimate positions on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and human rights”. He said they “expressed opposition to interference in China’s internal affairs and politicisation of human rights issues”. They also rejected the “politicisation of sports and reaffirmed their support” for China’s hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics that open on February 4, he said. — AP