Resolution on the Chinese Government crackdown on the peaceful protests across the People’s Republic of China

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Chinese Government crackdown on the peaceful protests across the People’s Republic of China.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR groups and Members.

The promotion of and respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be at the centre of the EU’s relations with China. However, since 2020 China has pursued a very strict zero-COVID policy featuring mass testing and ad hoc and long-lasting lockdowns seriously curtailing people’s freedom and rights.

Parliament expressed support for protesters fighting for fundamental rights who are being persecuted by the Chinese government, notably in the context of the zero COVID-19 policy. It is concerned about violations of freedoms of expression, association, assembly, press and media in China - intensified by the use of mass surveillance - and demand that human rights be guaranteed.

In this resolution, Parliament condemns:

- the Chinese Government-led reaction to the peaceful protests and the persecution of the peaceful protesters across China. It expressed its condolences to and stands in solidarity with the victims of the Urumqi fire and their family members and called for a thorough investigation to be carried out;

- the violent assault and detention of a foreign journalist covering these protests;

- the extensive use of mass surveillance and the current censorship of social networks;

- the fact that Chinese technology companies TikTok and Tencent are working with the Chinese Government to gather evidence on the identity of protesters to enable their arrest and are censoring the internet.

China is urged to:

- put an immediate end to the suppression and intimidation of peaceful protesters and to guarantee fundamental rights for everyone;

- immediately release all protesters wrongfully detained;

- ensure that all journalists are able to conduct their work freely and without impediments or fear of reprisals and to stop interfering with, harassing and intimidating lawyers and legal professionals, human rights defenders and others who openly express concern about the protesters or who defend the right to peaceful protest;

- put an end to violations of fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of expression and to the manipulation of information on social networks;

- end the repression of Uyghurs.

Parliament called for additional EU sanctions targeting Chinese officials and entities responsible for crimes against humanity. It also expressed deep concerns about the recent revelations regarding the presence of Chinese overseas police service stations in numerous EU Member States and around the world. The Commission, the Council and national law enforcement agencies are urged to ensure, as a matter of urgency, good coordination in order to shed light on these practices, take appropriate action and close down all Chinese overseas police service stations.

Member States are urged to:

- end all their extradition agreements with China and Hong Kong;

- properly ensure the security of Chinese refugees under their jurisdiction to avoid their capture or their being ‘persuaded to return’ or lured into a non-EU country from which they could easily be repatriated to China.

Lastly, Parliament called for unconditional readiness to resume the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which has not taken place for more than three years and for all European leaders to clearly communicate to the Chinese authorities the EU’s determination to react to an escalation of the repression against protesters by raising the issue in international organisations and to possibly impose additional sanctions, if necessary.