INVITING members of the Chinese government to the Queen’s funeral is an “extraordinary” error given the country’s human rights record, a group of MPs and Lords has said. 

The parliamentarians, who have been sanctioned by Beijing for criticising it, said they were “greatly concerned” China was asked despite other states being excluded for their abuses. 

Senior Tory MPs Tim Loughton and Sir Iain Duncan Smith were among those who have written to the Commons Speaker and Lord Speaker denouncing the decision.

Their letter, also signed by crossbench peer Lord Alton and Labour peer Baroness Kennedy, said: “We are greatly concerned to hear that the Government of China has been invited to attend the state funeral next week, despite other countries Russia, Belarus and Myanmar being excluded.

“Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese Government against the Uighur people it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred.”

Invitations to the Queen’s state funeral have not been sent to Russia, Belarus or Myanmar while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level, it is understood.

The Chinese Government is reportedly considering sending a delegation to the funeral on Monday in Westminster Abbey but it is unclear whether President Xi Jinping will attend.

The Chinese leader, who met the Queen on a state visit to the UK in 2015, is currently meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin at a summit in Uzbekistan.

Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan is expected to attend, the South China Morning Post reported, citing diplomatic sources.

In their letter, the parliamentarians also say they have written to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to express their concerns.

“It is also particularly inappropriate given that seven parliamentarians including ourselves remain sanctioned by the Chinese Government and you along with the Lords Speaker have quite rightly barred the Chinese Ambassador from attending the Palace of Westminster whilst these unjustified sanctions remain in place,” they write.

“It may well be as part of the arrangements for foreign dignitaries attending the state funeral that facilities at the Palace of Westminster will be made available to them before or after attending the service at Westminster Abbey.

“I am sure you will agree that it would be wholly inappropriate that any representative of the Chinese Government should be able to come to the Palace of Westminster and that you can give us your assurance that this will not happen.”

Mr Loughton said he was unsure if the invite China was “a conspiracy or cock up”.

He told BBC Radio 4: “I don’t know why this has happened. You cannot have a golden age, normal relations, with a country which has now been exposed as committing the sorts of atrocities that it has, not least the genocide against the Uighurs.”

Asked if he wanted the invite to be rescinded, he said: “Yes.”

In response to the letter from MPs and peers, Downing Street said: “First and foremost it is for the Palace on the invite list, this is inviting heads of state, world leaders to the funeral of Her Majesty so it is for them to set out the guest list.

“And as a convention those we have diplomatic relations with are invited in the main.”

The UN recently reported “serious” human rights violations were taking place in the Xinjiang region linked to Uighur Muslims and Beijing’s so-called counter-extremism policies.

In her former role as Foreign Secretary, and during the Tory leadership contest, Liz Truss pushed for a hard line against the Chinese Government.

The Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, now security minister, recently urged the Government to look at banning the import of all cotton products produced in Xinjiang over the Uighur abuses.