Fears UK trade deals could place economy over rights of Tibetan people

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There are fears the British Government is willing to place trade and access to Chinese markets above the rights ofTibetan people, as well as those affected by crackdowns in regions such as Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The UK’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited Beijing on 11 January, claiming she would strike dealsworth more than £600m to the UK economy over the next five years. However, the plan has faced widespread backlash from opposition Members of Parliament, with former Hong Kong governor Christopher Patten calling it “delusional”.

The chancellor has defended the plan saying she remains willing to have “uncomfortable conversations” with Beijing, particularly about human rights. But when TPI reached out to the chancellor’s office in London to ask whether trade deals would exclude companies responsible for exploiting Tibet’s natural resources, such as lithium, copper and gold, they responded saying they would trade in areas “that benefit the UK’s national interest”.

They also confirmed the chancellor did discuss human rights with Beijing, specifically in Hong Kong, yet it was unclear whether Tibet was raised at all.

The UK is facing economic turmoil and the chancellor appears to believe a deal with China may be the key to addressing this, yet some have compared the recent visit to former Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempt to start a “golden era” of relations with China in 2015. At the time, Mr Cameron claimed a strong relationship would bring “investment and jobs and higher living standards” but despite some short-term benefits, this era is now considered a mistake. Research shows it failed to deliver substantial long-term economic growth for the UK. Furthermore, in 2022 then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Mr Cameron’s golden era “naïve”, adding that China presents a “systemic challenge to our values and interests”.

In an open letter UK-based Tibetans and Tibet groups voiced concerns about Ms Reeve’s visit to China, warning that it is taking place at a “historic low point for human rights in Tibet”. They highlight Beijing’s intensifying exploitation of resources through hydropower dams on Tibetan rivers and unregulated mining causing “mass displacement and destruction of Tibetan heritage”.

The letter continues: “The exploitation of Tibet’s environment and the harm being caused to lives and livelihoods has prompted Tibetans around the world to call for an international moratorium on megadevelopment inside Tibet last year. The UK must support these calls and avoid undermining them by seeking trade without tying it to improvements in China’s human rights record.”