The UK has two main instruments for engagement with China on human rights.

• UK and China: A Framework for engagement
  
• UK-China Human Rights Dialogue
  
  Meetings between Chinese and British ministers and officials also take place and are often highlighted as indicators of success, irrespective of the outcomes of the meetings.
  

UK- China Framework

The British government claims in its policy document published in January 2009 "The UK and China: A Framework for Engagement" that “promotion of human rights is fundamental” in its engagement with China.

There are nine objectives outlined  in the Framework. Free Tibet feels that these objectives are weak. For example on detention without trial, the UK framework calls only for a “reduction”, a weakening of the UN’s demand for its outright abolition. It also only calls for a reduction on death sentences.

This brings into question whether human rights organisations were consulted to help identify benchmarks and directly challenges the sincerity with which greater respect for human rights is truly integral to the UK Government’s approach to China.

UK-China Human Rights Dialogue

By the Foreign Office’s own admission the dialogue has not yielded any real progress on human rights in Tibet since its inception in 1997. UK government lacks the means of assessing whether any progress has actually been made in its dialogue process with China because unlike other UK bi- or multi-lateral human rights processes, the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue does not have any measurable benchmarks or timeframes to monitor progress.

The failure of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue during 2008 and 09 is further evidenced by the fact that, at the request of the Chinese government, dialogue has taken place only once in over 18 months despite being scheduled to take place twice a year.

There is only one human rights officer in the Beijing Embassy for the WHOLE of China and Tibet.

In recent years there has been a marked decrease in the information the British government has been able to secure despite its strengthened, “constructive” engagement with China.

Ministerial Visit to Tibet

In September 2009 Ivan Lewis Foreign Minister made the first ever Ministerial visit to Tibet, at the invitation of the Chinese government. By accepting the invitation, the Foreign Minister had an obligation to bear witness to events inside Tibet The visit delivered a coup to the Chinese government yet the Minister failed to publicly hold China accountable to the dire situation inside Tibet.  Foreign Minister Ivan Lewis had failed to make a public statement on human rights in China or Tibet and failed to even hold a press conference.

A public statement of concern for human rights would have sent  a clear and strong message to the Chinese government and to the people of China that human rights do matter to the British government.

What can the British government do to improve human rights in Tibet?

• Establish desk officer in its Beijing embassy with the specific mandate to focus on Tibet
  
• Appoint a UK representative for Tibet along the line of the US Special Coordinator for Tibet. The UK government has similar posts for other regions such as Sudan. A key component of the role would be promoting dialogue between the Dalai Lama ‘s representatives and the Chinese government.
  
• Include measurable, achievable and time- bound benchmarks in its human rights approach with China.
• Promote among EU member states the establishment of an EU Special Representative on Tibet.
  
• Hold China to account on the failing of the Sino-Tibetan dialogue and work with EU partners to create a road map to create a political resolution.
  
• Ensure the government makes strong public statements on Tibet in view of the strong statements it makes on other countries where human rights abuses take place such as Burma.