New Zealand has thrown its support behind a British call for a United Nations fact-finding mission to investigate human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China.

International criticism of China over the abuse allegations has ratcheted up in recent weeks, with credible reports emerging of systemic torture, forced labour, and rape of the Uighur​ Muslim miniority in the northwest province of the country.

United Kingdom's foreign secretary Dominic Raab​ on Monday evening said in a speech to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, that the UN high commissioner for human rights or a similar independent expert "must be given urgent and unfettered access to Xinjiang".

"The situation in Xinjiang is beyond the pale. The reported abuses – which include torture, forced labour and forced sterilisation of women – are extreme and they are extensive. They are taking place on an industrial scale. It must be our collective duty to ensure this does not go unanswered.”

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"If members of this Human Rights Council are to live up to our responsibilities, there must be a resolution which secures this access," Raab said.

The UN Human Rights Council’s month-long 46th regular session began on Monday. The UK is one of 47 members of the council, with China, Russia, and France among the other countries. New Zealand has not been on the council since it formed in 2007.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta​ said New Zealand supported the action being taken by Britain, however, the call for an investigation had not been discussed between the countries as yet.

"A UN-sanctioned, or a UN-mandated or endorsed approach, is always something that New Zealand finds greater comfort in,” she said.

“It reaffirms what we stand for, which is international rules and norms that can help keep cohesion and also create the type of advocacy that we want to be supporting in terms of human rights.”

Raab, in the speech, canvassed human rights issues in Myanmar, where a military coup has deposed civilian leaders, Belarus, where he said an election was rigged, and Russia, where opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been detained.

He said the UK stood with a growing number of international partners in decrying human rights abuses in China.

Canada’s parliament on Monday voted to formally recognise China was committing a genocide against the Uighur people. Its House of Commons passed the non-binding motion 266-0, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet abstained from the vote.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi​, also speaking to the council, said China supported more co-operation on human rights, and “the door to Xinjiang is always open".

“We oppose using double standards to make slanderous attacks on other countries, and we also oppose using human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries' internal affairs.

“Xinjiang-related issues are in essence about countering violent terrorism and separatism.

“These basic facts show that there has never been so-called ‘genocide’, ‘forced labour’ or ‘religious oppression’ in Xinjiang ... People from many countries who have visited Xinjiang have learned the facts and the truth on the ground.”

National Party foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said New Zealand should “seriously consider” supporting such a bid from the British.