Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office written question – answered at on 11 June 2025.
Jim Shannon
DUP, Strangford
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) the enforced disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and (b) other concerns for the religious freedom of Tibetan Buddhists; whether he has made recent representations to his Chinese counterpart on these issues; and what steps his Department is taking to help protect religious rights for Tibetan Buddhists.
Catherine West
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We have serious concerns regarding the welfare and whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
We will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through the UN and bilateral engagement. For example, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively). The UK also joined a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.
We continue to do all we can to encourage freedoms for religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China.
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