Senior EU diplomats call on Beijing to stop human rights violation after meeting with Chinese officials and a visit to Tibet.

In a recent dialogue with China, the European Union (EU) expressed deep concerns over the grave human rights situation in the country. The dialogue, held in Chongqing, was led by senior EU diplomats, including Paola Pampaloni from the (European External Action Service) EEAS, and Shen Bo from China’s foreign ministry. The event, which took place amidst escalating tensions between Beijing and the EU over various issues, served as a platform for the EU to voice its apprehensions. These issues ranged from China’s involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine to trade disputes and human rights violations.

The European Union (EU) has voiced its concerns over the severe human rights violations in China, particularly targeting defenders, lawyers, and journalists. In a statement, the EU called on China to investigate and halt these abuses, highlighting instances of unlawful detention, enforced disappearances, and torture. The officials underscored the dire human rights conditions in Xinjiang, where over a million Uyghurs are reportedly confined in labor camps, and Tibet, where Buddhist traditions have been politically suppressed for years.

In an unusual step, the EU delegation undertook a three-day tour of Tibet preceding the human rights dialogue. Upon Brussels’ appeal, Chinese officials facilitated the delegation’s visit to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and Nyingchi, a city in the east. As per the EEAS report, the delegation’s itinerary included boarding schools, municipalities, cultural and religious landmarks, resettled Tibetan families, and even a prison. The side visit largely met the EU’s demands, barring interactions with individual prisoners.

Tibet stands as the sole region in China where foreign diplomats and officials are required to obtain Beijing’s approval for entry. In 2023, the U.S. officials lodged three separate requests for Tibet travel, all of which were denied, as reported by the State Department in an April congressional report. Although the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did arrange tours for foreign diplomats, these were heavily regulated by Chinese authorities, offering no substantial access to the Tibetan people.

In a statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council in March, Brussels described the human rights conditions in Tibet as “dire”, emphasizing the government’s push to enroll Tibetan children in state-controlled boarding schools and the widespread DNA sample collection in the Himalayan region.

Beyond Tibet, the EU diplomats also expressed their apprehensions about the situation in Hong Kong, where the city’s legislators, who are pro-CCP, have recently implemented a new security law. The EU pointed out the detrimental effects of this new legislation on the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong’s citizens, and the diminishing autonomy guaranteed by the Basic Law and China’s international obligations towards the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

In their meeting with Chinese officials, the EU delegation called for the immediate release of GuiMinhai, a Swedish bookseller of Chinese origin. Gui disappeared from his vacation home in Thailand in 2015 and was later sentenced to a decade in prison by a Chinese court for allegedly “supplying intelligence” to foreigners. Gui was a stakeholder in a bookstore based in Hong Kong that was known for its critical stance towards the CCP.

The EU officials highlighted the case of Ding Yuande, a Falun Gong practitioner currently serving a three-year prison sentence, whose son resides in Germany. The sentence was handed down in December 2023.

In January, the executive Commission of the bloc passed a resolution denouncing the CCP’s continuous oppression of Falun Gong. The resolution demanded the immediate liberation of Mr. Ding and other practitioners of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that merges meditative exercises with moral teachings centered on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Since 1999, this group has been subjected to relentless persecution by the CCP, including widespread arrests, detentions, torture, and other forms of abuse. The group’s millions of followers have been the primary victims of China’s state-controlled forced organ harvesting industry.

During a press conference held on a Tuesday, Lin Jian, the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, addressed the media. He urged Brussels to refrain from meddling in China’s domestic matters, using human rights as a guise.

For an extended period, numerous rights advocacy organizations have been urging the European Union to discontinue their human rights dialogues with China. They argue that mere conversation is insufficient to compel the Chinese Communist Party to cease its violations.

On June 12, Human Rights Watch, along with four other rights advocacy groups, issued a joint statement. They pointed out that despite the EU voicing concerns during these dialogues, they are well aware that the Chinese government will neither admit to any abuses nor make any attempts to ensure accountability. Furthermore, they will not be convinced to take any policy or legislative measures to adhere to China’s international human rights commitments.

The statement further added that the EU and its member states should adopt alternative, more effective strategies to pressure the Chinese government into terminating its crimes against humanity and other severe infringements. Moreover, they should hold those who fail to do so accountable.