EU says ambassadors won't visit China's Xinjiang this month

European Union ambassadors in Beijing will not be visiting China's far western region of Xinjiang this month after receiving an invitation from the government for a March 27-29 trip, the EU delegation to China said on Monday.

"While the EU and EU Member States in principle welcome the invitation, such a visit requires careful preparation in order to be meaningful," a spokesperson said.

"Discussions to this end are ongoing, hence the proposed trip will not take place this week. The EU remains open to a future visit taking into account our expectations." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Richard Borsuk)