EU again singled out China for human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell expressed to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the European Union’s concern over the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

By videoconference, Borrell and Wang reviewed the state of relations between the EU and China, the European External Action Service (EEAS) reported on Friday in a press release.

According to the service headed by Borrell, the two politicians held a “frank exchange” on adopting sanctions against Chinese officials by the EU through its new legal framework to punish those responsible for human rights violations and the countermeasures announced by Beijing.

March 22 EU sanctioned four officials and one Chinese entity for human rights violations in Xinjiang, the restrictive measures that followed a similar decision by the United States.

It was the first EU sanctions against China since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Beijing responded in turn sanction ten Europeans, half of whom are MEPs, and four entities, by summoning the EU ambassador to China, Nicolas chapuis, to file a formal complaint with Brussels.

Borrell also took advantage of the video conference with Wang to express the The EU “concerned” by the situation of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and expressed its conviction that the involvement of Europe and China “remains essential” and that “the channels of communication must remain open”.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday in which demanded “the release of the journalists detained from the Hong Kong opposition daily Apple Daily”, who closed in June after being accused of posting articles violating national security law that China has approved for Hong Kong.

Eurocamara too demanded the release of activists and political representatives who “simply exercised their right to freedom of expression”.

According to the EEAS statement, Wang reiterated his invitation to Borrell to visit China, while the EU’s foreign minister expressed his willingness to hold the regular EU-China strategic dialogue in early autumn.

He also stressed the importance of resume dialogue between the two parties on human rights, “pending since 2019”.

(With information from EFE)

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