China lifts sanctions against members of European Parliament
China is lifting sanctions on members of the European Parliament (MEPs), its president Roberta Metsola announced on Wednesday. China is increasingly seeking rapprochement with the EU amid its trade war with the US.
China imposed sanctions on several EU citizens in March 2021, including five MEPs and the parliament's human rights subcommittee. The sanctions were a response to Western action against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in the country.
Those sanctioned were banned from travelling to China, Hong Kong and Macau, and from doing business with China. In response, the European Parliament put the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement on hold.
However, relations between China and the EU appear to be warming recently due to the trade war with the US. Chinese products currently face import tariffs of up to 145 per cent, and president Xi Jinping is looking to other trading partners to minimise the economic impact.
EU to remain critical
But the lifting of the sanctions does not mean that the European Parliament "overlook persistent challenges in EU-China relations", a press release states.
“As president, it is my responsibility to ensure that every Member of this House can exercise their mandate freely, without restrictions,” Metsola said. “Our parliamentary committees must be able to discuss European interests with their Chinese counterparts without fear of repercussions."
China is not lifting all its sanctions. Belgian MP Samuel Cogolati was also targeted by the Chinese government in 2021, for tabling a resolution in the federal parliament labelling the Uyghurs' fate as genocide. Sanctions against him will be maintained, he told Belga on Wednesday.
PHOTO © FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP
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