Brussels, 07/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - During a plenary session debate at the European Parliament on Thursday 7 July, MEPs supported the idea of a new, more ambitious strategy on China, underlining the need for Beijing to respect the rules of the multilateral system - both on the economic level (respect for laws of the market) and on the political level (respect for the rule of law and human rights nationally, and respect for international law as regards the territorial disputes in the South China Sea).
Several MEPs underlined the need for a partnership between the EU and China on Africa, others spoke out against the trafficking of the organs of prisoners of conscience through the Chinese regime.
“China is a much more global, confident, assertive and outward-looking actor, which has caused some friction, such as on the environment, and security in Asia seems more unstable. But at the same time, China seems ready to cooperate on issues of global importance. Being its main trading partner and an important security provider in Asia, the EU has a mutual interest in cooperating with China”, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said, with regard to her new strategy for strengthening EU-China relations that was unveiled on 22 June and that is aimed at replacing the old 2006 strategy (EUROPE 11578).
“Our engagement will be practical and pragmatic. That's how we will be able to defend our interests and our values in all sectors from trade to human rights”, she continued, saying that the new strategy identified three sectors for engagement - prosperity and economic level reforms; security and defence; and global governance and the multilateral context.
On the economic level, “China must accept the obligations and not only the benefits linked to the multilateral trade system (…) It is first the Chinese economy that will gain from the reforms and from the removal of distortion generated by state intervention”, Mogherini said.
On the political level, the strategy promotes the defence of the rule of law, human rights, the role of civil society, the safety of maritime routes and the respect of international rules. Furthermore, given China's “fundamental role” in the negotiations with Iran or on the climate, the strategy is aimed at stimulating increased collaboration on foreign policy, especially on Afghanistan and Africa, Mogherini added.
On behalf of the EPP Group, Frank Engel (Luxembourg) called for relations with China to “become rigorously European” and he criticised the 16+1 format [which links China and the EU's eastern member states and south-east Europe] and the strategic partnerships concluded between the cities of Europe and China. On the issue of granting China market economy status (MES), “the avoidance of a trade war must not prevent us from having a firm discussion on all the subjects we hold dear - Taiwan with the law on NGOs, the rule of law or the South China Sea”, Engel said, also calling for there to be “more of Africa in this strategy”.
Underling the importance of the G20 framework, of the fight against climate change, the fight against terrorism, cyber-security and the protection of critical infrastructure projects (especially in energy) in this strategy, Victor Bostinaru (S&D, Romania) also called for “particular reflection on Africa, where the coordination of development cooperation and investment projects are possible”. His colleague Jo Leinen (S&D, Germany) also called for an “EU-China pact for Africa”.
For the EFDD Group, Gerard Batten (UKIP, UK) criticised the abuses of China's communist regime against religious minorities (including Falun Gong and Christians), as well as the trafficking of organs seized from prisoners of conscience and used for transplants, especially in the West. He said there have been 1 million to1.5 million victims of the regime since 2000, and that there are between 60,000 and 100,000 transplants per year. Tunne Kelan (EPP, Estonia) also spoke out against this trafficking, saying that the European Parliament had called for an international inquiry two years ago, and that the US Congress had condemned this trafficking. “This is a crime against humanity. The European Parliament must speak out against this tragedy”, he said.
On behalf of the ALDE Group, Marietje Schaake (the Netherlands) said it was “fundamental” to be “more ambitious and more critical with China” and she called for a “just and balanced” solution on granting China MES. She also called for increased cooperation “without turning our back on human rights campaigners”. “It is important not to use European policy in the immediate interests of Europe. That would reverberate on us”, she underlined, calling for the EU to ensure that China respects a UN solution on the application of human rights online (China's censure of the internet continues).
On behalf the Greens/EFA Group, Reinhard Bütikofer (Germany) called for increased cooperation on international issues, but for this “to be established according to the EU's values”. “China would like to be hegemonic at the regional level in Asia and to become an international power, which does not necessarily mean respect for multilateral rules”, he said. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)