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Dalai Lama

Asked by Chris LawScottish National PartyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 24 March 2026UIN 121390

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Prime Minister raised the issue of the succession of the Dalai Lama with a) President Xi and b) Premier Li during his visit to China in January 2026.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

On 2 July 2025, the UK hosted an event in Geneva to champion the universal right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including for Tibetan Buddhists, and reaffirmed that Tibetans should be free choose their own religious leaders. We continue to raise FoRB and human rights concerns in relation to Tibet with the Chinese authorities, and the Prime Minister raised Tibet with President Xi during their meeting in January.

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