Brussels, 7 October 2026: In a highly significant report on EU-China relations, adopted on Wednesday by a landslide majority of 454 votes in favour, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have delivered a stinging rebuke of Beijing’s policies. Drafted by Rapporteur Hilde Vautmans on behalf of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, the comprehensive document strongly condemns China’s intensifying campaign of mandatory “Sinicisation” and forced assimilation in Tibet.
The newly adopted text expresses deep concern over the systematic erosion of Tibet’s linguistic, cultural, and religious identity. Lawmakers sharply criticised Beijing’s systemic human rights violations, denouncing the demolition of cultural heritage, the implementation of mass surveillance, and the widespread use of forced labor. Of particular concern is directed at the state-run residential school system where nearly one million Tibetan children have been forcibly separated from their families and subjected to forced assimilation into the Han majority culture. Citing the alarming trauma of family separation and its devastating impact on traditional Tibetan language and customs, the report calls for the immediate abolition of this system.
Furthermore, the European Parliament fiercely condemned Chinese state interference in Tibetan Buddhist religious affairs. The text explicitly opposes Beijing’s calculated political manoeuvres to control the succession and reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, emphasising that protecting religious autonomy is non-negotiable. Lawmakers also demanded immediate information regarding the whereabouts of the missing Panchen Lama. These targeted violations are framed within a broader, deeply concerning pattern of restrictions on religious freedom affecting communities operating outside state-controlled organisations across mainland China
The severe extent of Beijing’s domestic information control was starkly illustrated following the deadly flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August 2026. While the disaster caused mass casualties, Chinese authorities heavily underreported the death toll, scrubbed survivor accounts from social media, and penalised citizens for sharing information. The report highlights how this tight pattern of censorship directly obstructs accountability, fuelling urgent demands for Beijing to grant independent journalists and humanitarian groups immediate, unimpeded access to the affected areas.
To counter China’s expanding reach of transnational repression, the report urges the European Union to consistently raise these human rights concerns at every political meeting with Chinese counterparts. Beyond economic diplomacy, the European Parliament insists that the protection of minority rights must become a central, binding element of future EU-China relations. Concurrently, the text calls for the immediate closure of all illegal, undercover “Chinese overseas police stations” operating within EU member states.
The adoption of this report marks a decisive step in the European Parliament’s sustained scrutiny of Beijing, signalling a unified demand for the EU to maintain maximum pressure over the protection of Tibetan cultural and religious rights.
Welcoming this timely report, Representative Rigzin Genkhang expressed deep gratitude to the European Parliament for consistently championing Tibetan rights. The final document closely reflects specific priorities put forward during the preparatory process, conveying the gravity of the situation on the ground.
The full report is available here.
– Report filed by Office of Tibet, Brussels
