Statement of the EU Delegation in China on the International Human Rights Day

Over the past year, our engagement with China on human rights has continued. The 40th EU–China Human Rights Dialogue was held in Brussels in June, preceded by a field visit to South Tyrol that focused on multilingualism and the protection of minorities rights. The EU also consistently raised human rights concerns at the 25th EU–China Summit in July 2025 as well as in multilateral fora, including at the 59th and 60th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. Where possible and in full respect of universal human rights, the EU remained open to working with China including in multilateral settings.

In spite of these engagements, unfortunately, the overall human rights situation in China showed no substantive sign of improvement. We uphold all human rights, civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights and emphasize the importance of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which China is a signatory. The EU remains deeply concerned about the systemic and severe restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms and on the right of minorities to enjoy their own culture, and to use their own language, in private and public, including in the field of education. These restrictions risk leading to cultural erasure.

In this context, the situation in Xinjiang remains serious. Numerous credible reports, including the assessment issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), indicate serious human rights violations that “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity”. The EU remains deeply troubled by continuing reports of forced labour and state‑imposed labour transfer schemes involving Uyghurs both within Xinjiang and to other provinces.

The human rights situation in Tibet remains equally alarming. This applies both to the Tibet Autonomous Region and to Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces, where similar patterns of restrictions have been reported. Reports continue to document far-reaching state control over religious life, intensified surveillance of monasteries, and the imposition of mandatory boarding schools, where Tibetan children are separated from their families and educated primarily in Mandarin. The closure of Tibetan-language schools, and the marginalisation of Tibetan-language instruction are deeply troubling.

We reiterate our concern for the enforced disappearance since 1995 of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama. No credible information is provided on his whereabouts or well-being. We continue to call on China to respect and protect the rights of persons belonging to religious groups to exercise their religious freedoms without interference. The selection of religious leaders should happen without government interference and in accordance with religious norms, including for the succession of the Dalai Lama.

The EU also remains concerned about the situation in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where policy shifts have resulted in a marked reduction in the use of Mongolian as a language of instruction and a narrowing of space for cultural and linguistic expression. The move from Mongolian as a vehicle of instruction to its relegation as a stand‑alone subject stands in contrast with official commitments to ethnic harmony and cultural diversity, and risks accelerating the erosion of the Mongolian community’s cultural and linguistic identity.

The recent nationwide crackdown on the Beijing Zion Church network, including the arrest of clergy, is a further sign of a broader tightening of control over religious communities and online religious activities.

On Human Rights Day, we affirm our clear and principled call for the abolition of the death penalty globally, in accordance with international human rights law. The EU highlights that capital punishment is ineffective as a deterrent, unnecessary for modern justice systems, and irrevocable, constituting a violation of human dignity. We are concerned that China continues to use the death penalty, including for non-violent offences, in a system lacking transparency. The EU urges China to establish a moratorium on executions, adopt rigorous and transparent procedures for reviewing sentences and reporting cases, and ultimately abolish this irreversible practice.

We stand firmly with human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and all those who face repression for exercising or defending fundamental rights. In China, individuals who speak out continue to face harassment, intimidation, intrusive surveillance, exit bans, house arrest, unlawful detention, torture and ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance. The EU urges China to uphold the rule of law and guarantee fair trials and due process for all. Comprehensive, impartial investigations into allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and other inhumane treatment must be ensured, including harassment targeting human rights defenders and their families. All detainees must be able to choose their own legal representation, access adequate medical care, and maintain regular contact with their relatives. We reiterate our call on China to abolish Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL), which UN Special Procedures have assessed as a form of enforced disappearance. Torture, ill-treatment and coerced or televised confessions constitute grave violations of international law and must be eliminated entirely.

The EU continues to be concerned and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of, among others, Gulshan Abbas, Anya Sengdra, Ekpar Asat, Chadrel Rinpoche, Rahile Dawut, Ding Jiaxi, Ding Yuande, Dong Yuyu, Pastor Mingri (Ezra) Jin, Gao Zhen, Gao Zhisheng, Go Sherab Gyatso, Golog Palden, He Fangmei, Huang Qi, Huang Xueqin, Hushtar Isa, Yalkun Isa, Ji Xiaolong, Li Yanhe, Peng Lifa, Qin Yongming, Ruan Xiaohuan, Tashi Dorje, Tashpolat Tiyip, Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti, Wang Bingzhang, Pastor Wang Yi, Kamile Wayit, Xie Yang, Xu Na, Xu Zhiyong, Yang Hengjung, Yang Maodong, Yu Wensheng, Pastor Zhang Chunlei, Tara Zhang Yadi and Zhang Zhan, as well as EU citizen Gui Minhai whose right to consular access must be respected.

The EU underscores the essential role of freedom of expression, media independence and access to information in ensuring accountable and effective governance. In China, these freedoms remain severely constrained. Suppression of expression persists through pervasive online censorship, intensified control of digital platforms, deletion of content addressing socially sensitive issues, and pressure on users to conform to official narratives. Journalists, other media workers and bloggers continue to face intimidation, surveillance, arrest, prosecution and harsh sentencing simply for carrying out their professional duties. Chinese journalists should be able to meet freely with all interlocutors —including foreign counterparts— without fear of reprisals. Foreign correspondents likewise operate in a restrictive environment marked by harassment, surveillance, obstacles to reporting, and visa uncertainty. The EU also calls on China to respect the right to demonstration, which remains an integral component of freedom of expression and civic participation.

The EU strongly promotes global gender equality and women and girls full enjoyment of human rights. As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Conference on Women, we emphasise that the commitments from the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remain crucial. These commitments focus on women's full participation in political and public decision-making, economic empowerment, and the dismantling of discriminatory social and cultural norms. Urgent attention is needed to combat widespread sexual and gender-based violence—both online and offline—globally, including in China and within the EU. The EU urges China to protect women human rights defenders, gender-equality advocates, and those opposing discrimination.

The EU reaffirms its commitment to LGBTI persons’ full enjoyment of human rights. We are concerned about the rising challenges faced by China's LGBTI community, including the restriction on the freedom of association, online censorship, and intimidation of activists. No one should endure harassment, job loss, or surveillance due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. The EU calls on China to ensure that all individuals can live safely and freely without discrimination, stigma, or fear, and to uphold the fundamental rights of LGBTI persons according to international human rights standards.

In Hong Kong, fundamental rights and freedoms have further eroded. Five years after the entry into force of the National Security Law, over 330 people have been arrested and more than 160 convicted under the NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. We continue to closely follow the cases of individuals charged under these laws, including barrister and human rights defender Chow Hang-tung and British citizen and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, whose deteriorating health is deeply worrying. The extraterritorial application of national security legislation and the repeated issuance of arrest warrants against persons abroad, including an EU citizen, remain unacceptable.

China must also respect the principle of non-refoulement, and refrain from any extraterritorial activity, including transnational repression, that is not in line with international law.