In a significant development before the EU-China conference, a coalition of prominent human rights organizations collectively urged the European Parliament to place human rights discussions at the forefront of their engagement with China. This joint letter implores the EU to reconsider its current prioritization of economic issues over ethical concerns, highlighting Europe’s economic entanglement with China, which is characterized as a “low-rights economic model” negatively impacting workers there.
The letter underscores several pressing human rights issues, urging EU parliamentarians to challenge China’s controversial “Ethnic Unity” law, question the fate of 40 deported Uyghurs, and show backing for UN-led investigations into allegations of human rights abuses. It also calls for the release of political prisoners and encourages a public declaration supporting victims of abuse. These demands come as the EU gears up for its first parliamentary delegation to China in eight years, a visit officially announced in March, focusing on digital trade and fair competition issues alongside major Chinese tech firms like Alibaba, Temu, and Shein.
The recent Second EU-China Conference held on May 12 in Beijing did briefly address human rights, though it was subsumed under “Political Relations” in the broader agenda, with the main discussions revolving around industrial overcapacity and China’s support for Russia amidst the Ukraine conflict. The way human rights were addressed has drawn criticism from several international organizations, who argue that conditions have deteriorated in China since President Xi Jinping assumed power. Allegations of forced labor, arbitrary detention, and limited accountability for such violations have been consistently reported.
This is not the first appeal from rights organizations to the EU for a focused dialogue on human rights with China. Similar calls were made prior to the July 2025 EU-China Summit. As the European Parliament prepares for an impending visit to Beijing and Shanghai, attention is sharply focused on how issues such as detained activists and ethnic policies will be approached. Concurrently, the European Commission is contemplating new trade measures to mitigate the EU’s dependence on Chinese imports, with decisions anticipated later this month.
For further insights on this unfolding situation, more details can be found from the original report on JURIST. Additionally, the BCC provides analysis on the strategic implications of Europe’s economic ties with China here, emphasizing the complex nature of balancing human rights and economic interests.