EU flagThe President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, will be visiting Beijing, Lhasa and Shanghai from 8 to 14 July 2006 on his first official visit to China.

Borrell has stated that he “intends to see as much as possible of what the real China is today: the political authorities, the economic transformation, and a province far from both these realities, Tibet.”

On arrival in Beijing the President will visit the Lama Temple before participating in a round table on Tibet and social issues with various NGOs. From Sunday 9 July until Tuesday 11 July the President will visit Lhasa, where he will visit various religious and cultural sites. He will hold meetings with the provincial parliament and authorities and NGOs.

President Borrell met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Brussels in June and reiterated the European Parliament’s commitment to support a peaceful, non-violent solution in Tibet and called on China to grant autonomy to Tibet.