Free Tibet is calling for a Parliamenteryinquiry into the effectiveness of the UK's foreign policy with China

What would the inquiry achieve?
An inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee would create a forum in which the UK government strategy on its engagement with China would be publicly scrutinised. The inquiry would create accountability and witnesses including the Minister of State and the Foreign Secretary could be called to give evidence.

What is the Foreign Affairs Select Committee?

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is a parliamentary committee made up of 14 MPs from the three main political parties. The Committee is an independent body responsible for scrutinising UK foreign policy.
The government should give a detailed response to the Committee's reports within two months of publication. FASC reports often result in a debate on the issue in Parliament.

The Committee last conducted an inquiry into China in 2005-2006 which looked at religious freedoms and human rights in the PRC and in Tibet and Xinjiang.

What is the FASC’s assessment of the government’s China strategy?

Free Tibet has given evidence to the FASC on the current situation in Tibet and provided analysis of the UK government policies and their impact on human rights. The FASC Human Rights Review, published in August 2009, calls into doubt the effectiveness of UK’s China policy.

The FASC’s Annual Human Rights Review

• concluded “that there remains little evidence that the British Government’s policy of constructive dialogue with China has led to any significant improvements in the human rights situation”
• and stated “that the absence of any momentum towards resolving the dispute over Tibet is a matter of grave concern.”

The Committee has taken some of Free Tibet’s recommendations on board. These include the proposal for the government to produce specific targets and benchmarks in the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, which since its inception 12 years ago has failed to include any mechanisms to measure progress.

While Free Tibet welcomes the assessment of the FASC, concerns about the lack of a successful human rights strategy remain outstanding.

Parliamentary support for the inquiry:

On 21 October 2009 Kate Hoey MP has tabled Early Day Motion 2133 titled Human Rights in China and Tibet, calling for an inquiry.

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