I refer the Deputy to my reply of 6 November on the appointment of an EU special representative for Tibet.
In March 2002 the Dalai Lama wrote to EU Foreign Ministers, including myself, asking for a special EU representative on Tibet. In a joint response, at that time, the EU Ministers were unanimously of the view that it would not achieve anything practical. The position has not changed. It remains the shared view of EU Ministers that our concerns regarding Tibet are most usefully expressed to the Chinese authorities directly.
Our ongoing concerns about the protection of human rights in Tibet continue to be addressed, along with the general human rights problem in China, both bilaterally and within the framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. This is also done through appropriate action at the UN, including at the Commission on Human Rights.
I am encouraged by China's first ever policy paper on the EU that was published on 13 October. It calls on EU representatives to visit Tibet and welcomes EU support for the economic, cultural, educational and social development of Tibet.
The Government's position remains that the best way to achieve progress in Tibet is through dialogue between the Government in Beijing and the Dalai Lama. During the summer a delegation of the Dalai Lama's envoys visited China following a change in its leadership. I welcome the reports of positive dialogue between Chinese officials and the delegation.
