EU-China investment deal on hold: the European Parliament fight for human rights
Admin GHRTV
On Thursday afternoon, the European Parliament voted to freeze the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) reached less than five months ago. The text was approved with 599 votes in favour and 30 against.
The reasons for this step-back are twofold: there are insufficient commitments made in regards to labour rights, particularly forced labour and Beijing has recently imposed sanctions on five members of the hemicycle which were supposed to constitute countermeasures to European sanctions taken on China over Xinjiang-related affairs.
Therefore, by this motion, the Parliament itself deplores the impunity of "crimes against humanity" including forced labour, torture, forced sterilisations, sexual violence and mass surveillance that are taking place against the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.
Read more about the topic here:
https://www.axios.com/eu-china-investment-deal-suspended-8f8b01a1-5db3-45ba-b4d5-6d49bc07e71d.html.
