Ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the People’s Republic of China this week, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) urges him to raise the situation in Tibet and the lack of freedom offered to Tibetans directly with his Chinese counterpart and to call on the Chinese authorities to resume without delay an open and honest dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama, who celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year.
Macron’s visit, which will take place from December 3-5, will include a visit to Chengdu – the capital of Sichuan, a province that encompasses large portions of Tibet – making it especially relevant for him to address the diminishing human rights situation in Tibet, where Beijing’s policies of forced assimilation – including a large-scale system of compulsory boarding schools and increasing indoctrination for Tibetan children – progressively threatens the preservation of the Tibetan people’s identity and culture.
“Leaders in the Free World have long accepted the role of speaking up for the oppressed,” said ICT President Tencho Gyatso. “We urge President Macron to serve in that role asking the hard questions and pressing Xi on the state of Tibet, inquiring about so many illegally imprisoned Tibetans and encouraging renewed talks with envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Vincent Metten, EU Policy Director at ICT, said: “President Macron’s visit takes place at a critical moment for Tibet, as the human rights situation and geopolitical tensions and challenges in the region increase. France, as a leading voice within the European Union, has a key role to play in ensuring that human rights and the rule of law remain central to Europe’s engagement with China.”
Raising Tibet during this visit is essential not only to reaffirm France’s commitment to human rights, the rule of law and democratic values at a time when they are increasingly challenged by authoritarian regimes – including the Chinese government – but also because of Tibet’s growing geopolitical relevance. As detailed in a recent ICT report, the Tibetan plateau has become a major strategic hotspot at the center of escalating China-India tensions and is now one of the most militarized areas in the region. Tibet’s role as the “water tower of Asia” – essential to more than a billion people – is also increasingly threatened by China’s mega-dam projects and unilateral water management, with potentially serious consequences for South and Southeast Asian countries. A clear stance from France in favor of protecting these strategic water resources would send in the region a needed signal in the face of China’s growing power and must include a firm affirmation of Tibetans’ right to participate in decisions concerning the management of their own water resources.
In urging President Macron to press the Chinese leadership to resume talks with the representatives of the Dalai Lama, the goal would be an honest dialogue on the “Middle Way Approach” to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples based on equality and mutual co-operation. Reviving this dialogue would be an essential step toward enabling a peaceful resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict and reducing regional tensions.
The ICT also calls on President Macron to urge Chinese authorities to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Zhang Yadi, a Chinese student who had been studying in France and was arrested in China on July 31, 2025. She is accused of “inciting separatism” in connection with her writings on the situation in Tibet and the rights of Tibetans. Her detention for peacefully expressing her views constitutes a serious violation of her fundamental human rights. ICT urges President Macron to raise her case with his Chinese counterpart without delay and to press for her full legal and humanitarian protections.