EN E-002786/2020 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell on behalf of the European Commission (16.7.2020) High Representative/Vice-President (HRVP) Borrell has recently raised concerns for the situation in Tibet, during his Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on 9 June 2020. Restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and on the rights of minorities in Tibet have been among topical concerns for the EU for a number of years, as expressed also publicly including in multilateral fora.1 The selection of religious leaders should happen without any government interference and in respect of religious norms. The implementation of any legal provision should take these principles into account. The Chinese revised regulations on Religious Affairs pose serious questions in this respect and it will be therefore important to monitor their implementation. In the framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, the European External Action Service has repeatedly expressed the position that China needed to respect the succession process of the Dalai Lama. This was recalled also during the last meeting held in Brussels on 1 April 2019. The HRVP will continue to follow closely this issue and remains committed to reiterate this position if events so require. 1 https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-geneva/75884/hrc43-item-4-human-rights-situations-require-councils- attention-eu-statement_en