China: Human Rights and Sanctions

Baroness Hoey Excerpts
Tuesday 29th October 2024

(2 days, 16 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Hoey Portrait Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)
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My Lords, did the Foreign Secretary raise the appalling treatment of Tibetans, particularly the sacrilege by which some of their wonderfully famous and sacred sites are being destroyed? If this was raised, does the Minister know the answer?

Baroness Chapman of Darlington Portrait Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
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I am frantically looking through the read-out of the exchange to see a reference to Tibet. I assure the noble Baroness that the Foreign Secretary raised a number of foreign policy and security matters, particularly issues around human rights. As she would expect, you do not get an instant result in these sorts of exchanges—diplomacy is about consistency and it takes time. But we are now in a period where we want a consistent, stable and pragmatic relationship. For 14 years, the relationship has blown hot and cold, and we have not had that stability and consistency. So that is the approach we will see from this Government.