Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the potential merits of negotiating an agreement between China and Tibet.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.
The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to ensure that the dispute between Tibet and China is resolved in accordance with international law.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.
The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's policy is on (a) whether Tibet is a part of China and (b) whether Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.
The Government recognises Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. We view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community to decide in line with freedom of religion and belief.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart on protecting the (a) cultural, (b) religious and (c) linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is taking action to limit the impact of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda, and working with international partners to forge a collective counter FIMI agenda.
We continue to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on disinformation on Tibet.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. This includes concerns about the erosion of Tibetan cultural rights and traditions by the Chinese authorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to freedom of religious belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is taking action to limit the impact of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda, and working with international partners to forge a collective counter FIMI agenda.
We continue to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what response he received from his Chinese counterparts on the concerns he raised about human rights abuses in Xinjiang in October 2024.
Answered by Catherine West
I am not able to comment on the details of discussions with international counterparts. The effective conduct of the UK's international relations depends upon maintaining the trust and confidence of other states and international organisations.
This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made with international counterparts on cooperating to protect the human rights of Uyghurs.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.
We will continue to work closely with international partners in a number of areas, including holding China to account in international fora. For example, we joined a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. We also work together to monitor, expose and react to human rights violations in Xinjiang. This includes working with international partners to understand the impact and effectiveness of measures to combat forced labour.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has implemented the recommendations of the Second Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 2021-22 on Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond, HC 198, published on 29 June 2021.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK has carefully considered and implemented several of the Foreign Affairs Committee's recommendations on responding to human rights violations in China since 2021. This Government will stand firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October. In the recently published Trade Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade launched a Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) review to consider the effectiveness of the UK's current RBC measures and alternative policy options, including approaches to tackle forced labour.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to encourage China to (a) ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and (b) uphold commitments under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Answered by Catherine West
As UN member states, both the UK and China have a responsibility to uphold core pillars of the UN, including universal human rights. We continue to encourage China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to uphold the various international obligations they have freely signed up to.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. For example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department officially recognises the Tibetan people as having a distinct (a) religious, (b) cultural, (c) linguistic and (d) historical identity.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet, and the erosion of Tibetan language, history and culture.
We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor, Energy Secretary and I all raised human rights recently with our Chinese counterparts. We also continue to work closely with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations. On July 2 the UK convened an event in the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all, including Tibetan Buddhists.