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Madam President, Honourable Members, 

This Parliament has held several urgency debates on the human rights situation in China during this mandate. I do not think I need to remind anyone about the European Union’s persistent and grave concerns in this area.  

As we speak here, the authorities in China’s Tibetan areas – these areas include not only [the] Tibet Autonomous Region but also parts of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces -, continue to severely restrict the exercise of fundamental freedoms. In particular, they are systematically restricting the freedom of religion or belief, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of association.  

We are aware of the reports about increasingly intrusive control and surveillance measures, including DNA sampling. Extra-judicial forms of political detention are widespread. Political detainees, including Buddhist monks, are held captive or sentenced to re-education [or] prison. There are allegations of “labour transfer” and coerced “vocational training” schemes. You saw reports about the demolition of Buddhist Monasteries and the implementation of regulations by the Government of China affecting Tibetan Buddhism, including on the succession and recognition of Lamas and the “living Buddhas”. 

There are well-substantiated reports, including by United Nations special rapporteurs, about the vast majority of Tibetan pupils being forced to attend state-run boarding schools, far from their families and with rare opportunities to visit their homes. Mandarin Chinese is the language of education, and the curriculum is nationally standardised. It is difficult to imagine any other effect of these policies than alienating Tibetan pupils from their own heritage. This can ultimately have long lasting effects on Tibetan language and Tibetan culture, which risks being erased. This also has a long-lasting effect on communities’ cohesion and families.  

The European Union follows Tibet’s ongoing human rights crisis very closely. The [European] Commission fully shares the concerns of just expressed in this debate by Honourable Members, and also by likeminded governments, the United Nations and academic experts and civil society. 

I can assure you that the European Union will continue to speak against human rights violations occurring across China, including in Tibet. We will continue to convey our concerns to the Chinese leadership – just as EU Leaders did last week in Beijing, during the 24^th EU-China Summit.  

And let me specify that human rights issues are systematically raised in EU-China Summits and last week’s Summit in Beijing was no exception. During the Summit, EU leaders reiterated the EU’s deep concerns about the human rights situation in China, notably, systemic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet, forced labour, treatment of human rights defenders and persons belonging to minorities as well as [the] continued erosion of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, where China should honour its prior commitments. Individual cases were raised as well. 

So, let me assure you that the European Union will never compromise on human rights. 

Thank you.

Link to the video (starting from 15:09): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-250524