Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Navendu Mishra (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Chris Elmore (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Tibet: Culture and Languages

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Chinese policy on minorities on Tibetan (a) language and (b) culture.

Answer

The UK stands firm on human rights in China, including in Tibet. We continue to encourage respect for freedom of religion or belief, cultural expression and linguistic rights in Tibet and across China, and we raise this directly with the Chinese authorities at senior levels.

We note the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' concerns that China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress may further restrict the rights and freedoms of ethnic minorities. The law also risks undermining Tibetans' ability to use the Tibetan language freely and to preserve and develop their cultural heritage. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has raised these concerns with Chinese officials, stressing the importance of ensuring that the law does not harm the rights of ethnic minority communities and is not applied extraterritorially.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21947
Session
2026-27
Registered interest declared
Yes
Subjects
Culture China Languages Tibet
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk