China has warned Switzerland that accepting two Uighurs held at Guantanamo Bay prison could affect relations, the Chinese embassy and Swiss authorities said on Thursday.

"We are obliged to reiterate the Chinese position that the terrorists assumed to have Chinese nationality should be repatriated to China regardless of their ethnicity," said the embassy in a letter to Swiss authorities.
 

"We absolutely do not want this affair to affect China-Swiss relations,” added the embassy in extracts of the letter seen by AFP.
 

"We hope that Switzerland can understand this and take Chinese concerns very seriously by refusing the reception of these people in a clear-cut manner," said the letter.
 

A spokesman from the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed reception of the letter but said the government had not taken a decision on the Uighurs.
 

The two were part of 22 Uighurs living in a self-contained camp in Afghanistan when the US led coalition bombing campaign began in October 2001.
 

They fled to the mountains, but were turned over to Pakistani authorities, who then handed them to the United States which held them in Guantanamo prison.
 

Five have since been resettled in Albania in 2006, while four were taken in by the Bermudas last June and another six by Palau island in October 2009.
 

US President Barack Obama has vowed to close the controversial Guantanamo prison, where 198 inmates are still held.
 

Source: AFP