MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
11.12.2007
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Edward McMillan-Scott, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Tunne Kelam, Antonio Tajani, Georg Jarzembowski and Patrick Gaubert
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
on the EU-China Summit and the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue
European Parliament resolution on the EU-China Summit and the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Joint Statement of the 10th China-EU Summit in Beijing of 28 November 2007,
– having regard to the public hearing held on 26 November 2007 by its Subcommittee on Human Rights on 'Human Rights in China in the run-up to the Olympics';
– having regard to the rounds of EU-China Dialogue on Human Rights in Beijing on 17 October 2007 and in Berlin on 15 and16 May 2007,
– having regard to its resolution of 6 September 2007 on the functioning of the human rights dialogues and consultations on human rights with third countries,
– having regard to its resolution of 15 February 2007 on the dialogue between the Chinese Government and Envoys of the Dalai Lama,
– having regard to its resolution of 7 September 2006 on EU-China relations, and to its previous resolutions on China,
– having regard to the European Union Guidelines on Human Rights Dialogues adopted on 13 December 2001,
– having regard to its previous annual resolutions on human rights in the world,
– having regard to the UN Olympics Truce, as passed by the UN General Assembly on 31 October 2007 (GA/10650), inviting UN member states to observe and promote peace during the Olympic Games,
– having regard to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
– having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas any decision to initiate a human rights dialogue is taken on the basis of certain criteria adopted by the Council, which notably takes into consideration the major concerns on the part of the EU about the human rights situation on the ground in the country concerned, a genuine commitment on the part of the authorities of the country concerned, with regard to such dialogue, to improve the human rights situation on the ground, and the positive impact which a human rights dialogue may have on the human rights situation,
B. whereas the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games should constitute an important opportunity for focusing world attention on the human rights situation in China,
C. whereas the EU-China Strategic Partnership is of great importance for relations between the EU and China,
D. whereas the PRC introduced a 'one-child' policy in 1976,
E. whereas there are continuous disturbing reports of political imprisonments, particularly of members of religious and ethnic minorities, allegations of torture, widespread use of forced labour, frequent use of the death penalty and systematic repression of freedom of religion, speech and the media, including the Internet,
F. whereas, due to the strict controls exercised by the Chinese Government over information about and access to Tibetan areas of China, it is difficult to determine accurately the scope of human rights abuses,
G. whereas China's engagement and influence in Africa have increased considerably over the last decade,
H. whereas credibility, democratic values and responsibility should constitute the fundamental basis of the relationship between the EU and China,
EU-China Summit
1. Expresses its disappointment at the fact that human rights issues were not higher on the agenda of the EU-China Summit, in order to give more political weight to human rights concerns, and that the EU did not take the opportunity provided by the approaching Olympics to address serious human rights concerns in China;
2. Calls at the same time for greater coherence and consistency on human rights, trade, and security; urges the EU therefore to ensure that its trading relationship with China is contingent upon human rights reforms and calls on, in this regard, on the Council to make a comprehensive evaluation of the human rights situation before finalising any new Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement;
3. Welcomes, therefore, the launch and commencement of negotiations on a Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement which will cover the full scope of EU-China bilateral relations, including strengthened and enhanced cooperation on political matters; calls on the Council and Commission to involve Parliament in all future bilateral relations between the Parties, not least in view of the fact that, without Parliament's formal assent, there can be no Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement;
4. Insists that the EU arms embargo against China remain intact until greater progress – as duly recognised by the international community – is made on human rights issues; reminds EU Member States that the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports includes as a criterion respect for human rights in the country of final destination of such exports;
5. Voices concern at the fact that, despite the Chinese Government's repeated statements to the effect that it intends to ratify the ICCPR, such ratification is still pending; urges China therefore to ratify and implement it without any further delay;
Human rights in China in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
6. Is of the opinion that human rights concerns should receive much more focus in the build-up to the Beijing Olympic Games; reiterates the need for respect for universal fundamental ethical principles and promotion of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity, as enshrined in Articles 1 and 2 of the Olympic Charter;
7. Stresses the responsibility of the EU to speak with one voice and work with its National Olympic Committees and EU-based Olympic sponsors to create a basis for responsible behaviour in the preparations for and during and after the Olympics;
8. Voices grave concern at the recent increase in political persecution related to the Olympics and aimed at human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, petitioners, civil-society activists and religious of all beliefs and sects, with Falun Gong practitioners as well as Buddhist monks and nuns being detained in camps or mental hospitals, or being placed under house arrest, and calls on the Chinese authorities to put an end to these human rights violations;
9. Calls on China to take practical steps to grant freedom of expression and to respect the freedom of press for both Chinese and foreign journalists; expresses particular concern about the failure to implement the new regulation on international journalists active in China and urges the Chinese authorities immediately to stop censoring and blocking thousands of news and information websites based abroad; calls for the release of all journalists, Internet users and cyber-dissidents detained in China for exercising their right to information;
10. Calls on the International Olympic Committee to ensure that China lives up to its promises to grant media freedoms and to issue a political statement on the situation in China at the earliest opportunity;
11. Insists that China must respect its commitments and obligations as the host city for the Olympics, which include making the host city contract publicly available;
12. Calls on the Chinese authorities to put an end to breaches of the legally-guaranteed labour rights of the estimated one million migrant construction workers employed at construction projects in Beijing that are directly or indirectly related to preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games;
13. Calls on the Chinese authorities to stop violating the fundamental right to housing through the demolition of residential areas in Beijing and the forced relocation of their residents during the construction of the venues and infrastructure for the 2008 Olympics;
14. Condemns the blacklisting of 42 banned categories of people, such as the Dalai Lama and associates, journalists and human rights activists, which prevents them from visiting China during the Olympics;
15. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the international community to pay special attention to and monitor the human rights situation in the preparatory phase and during and after the Olympics; requests the International Olympic Committee to publish its own assessment of China's compliance with the undertakings given in 2001 before the Games were awarded to Beijing;
EU-China human rights dialogue
16. Emphasises, therefore, the need considerably to strengthen and improve the EU-China human rights dialogue; calls on the Council to provide a more detailed briefing to Parliament in plenary session, following discussions;
17. Calls on the EU Troika to continue to discuss intensively, in the context of the dialogue, matters of concern such as the ratification of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, reform of the criminal justice system, including the death penalty and the system of re-education through labour, freedom of expression, particularly on the Internet, freedom of the press, freedom of conscience, thought and religion, the situation of minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang, the release of detainees following the events in Tiananmen Square, and workers' and other social and economic rights;
18. Calls on China, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to comply with special procedures, including by implementing the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and by issuing a standing invitation to China for UN experts;
19. Urges the Commission, the Council and the Member States to raise the specific cases of the following human rights defenders: Hu Jia and Zeng Jinyan, nominees in 2007 for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought; Niu Jinping; Zhang Lianying; Cao Dong; Chen Guangcheng; Li Heping; Guo Feixiong; Lu Gengsong Yang Chunlin; Gao Zhisheng; and Gong Haoming;
20. Regrets that no substantial progress has been made regarding the release of political prisoners incarcerated for their involvement in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations; also regrets that the Chinese authorities continue to ignore calls for a full and impartial inquiry into the events of 1989; calls for an official reassessment of the Tiananmen Square incident by the Chinese authorities, for publication of the list of political prisoners and for their unconditional release;
21. Calls on the Chinese authorities to reform the non-transparent state secrets system, which allows violations of the right to freedom of expression and access to information, and undermines the foundations for good governance and the rule of law;
22. Stresses the need to continue to organise the EU-China legal seminar on human rights, which used to precede the dialogue, with the participation of academic and civil society representatives; notes, in this connection, the establishment of an EU-China Human Rights Academic Network under Objective 3 of the EIDHR, and calls on the Commission to ensure that this network effectively functions in cooperation with the European Parliament;
23. Calls on China, in the run-up to the Olympic Games, to give a goodwill sign to the international community and to abolish 're-education through labour' and similar forms of forced 're-education' of detainees in prisons, pre-trial detention centres and psychiatric hospitals;
24. Strongly condemns the detention and torture of Falun Gong practitioners in prisons; urges the Chinese Government to end the detention and torture of Falun Gong practitioners and to release them immediately and draws attention to reliable reports that more than 3,000 identified practitioners have died under torture since 1999;
25. Expresses its deep disquiet at the numerous violations of women’s and girls’ rights resulting from forced compliance with the Chinese Government’s family planning policy, including selective abortions, forced sterilisations and the abandonment of girls on a massive scale; calls on China to put an immediate end to this practice, which hampers the wellbeing of thousands and thousands of human beings;
26. Draws attention to the need for China to abstain from regulating religion and expressions thereof; affirms the need, particularly in the light of the discussions among Chinese officials about the definition of 'religion'” – especially 'legal religion' –, for a comprehensive law on religion meeting international standards and guaranteeing genuine religious freedom;
27. Deplores the contradiction between the constitutional freedom of belief (enshrined in Article 36 of the Constitution) and the ongoing interference of the State in the affairs of religious communities, in particular as regards the training, selection, appointment and political indoctrination of ministers of religion;
28. Considers the latest ordinations to be a sign of goodwill and enhanced mutual cooperation between China and the Holy See, and calls on the Chinese authorities to continue in their willingness to pave the way for a sincere and constructive dialogue between China and the Holy See; points, therefore, to the need to respect the freedom of the Church and preserve the autonomy of its institutions from any external interference which undermines confidence in reciprocal dialogue and advances in freedom in China;
29. Notes the rising influence of China globally, but in particular in countries as diverse as Belarus, Venezuela, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Iran and North Korea, of whose human rights records the EU remains deeply critical;
30. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States MS to increase and deepen the structured ongoing human rights dialogue mechanism by involving the relevant European Parliament delegation (or the AFET Committee/Subcommittee on Human Rights), so as to enable it to take part in the preparatory meetings which establish, for the EU side, the policy coordination to be discussed with the relevant Chinese counterpart;
31. Calls therefore for the Commission and Parliament to re-examine the possibility of including Members of the European Parliament (belonging to the EU-China Delegation and /or the AFET Committee and/or the Subcommittee on Human Rights) and of the Chinese People's National Congress in the delegations participating in the dialogue;
32. Draws attention to the conclusions of the XVII CCP National Party Congress where different perspectives and an openness arose towards implementation of more stringent international human rights benchmarks in China;
33. Urges China to cease its ongoing support for Myanmar, which violates internationally recognised human rights standards, and considers that harmonious development of bilateral relations between the EU and its Member States and China will be jeopardised if it is confirmed that the PRC is providing huge quantities of weapons to the Myanmar Government, including a shipment of artillery canons that was recently (beginning of November) seen crossing the China-Myanmar border, despite the strong international concern and pressure on the PRC not to provide weapons to the Myanmar military regime;
34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the government of the People's Republic of China, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Board of the International Olympic Committee.