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South China morning post
Concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang threaten to derail China’s investment deal with the EU
Although China has offered the European Union multiple concessions in a landmark investment deal, it has steadfastly refused to compromise on a critical issue: labor rights. EU officials now say Beijing refuses to ratify International Labor Organization (ILO) standards on labor rights. The work will make it politically difficult for the European Parliament, whose support is vital to validate the agreement, to vote in its favor. Last week, parliament passed a resolution to condemn Beijing’s practices in Xinjiang, which said that any comprehensive agreement with China “must include adequate commitments to uphold international conventions against forced labor.” Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the great stories originating from China. ” The political signal is disastrous. This agreement makes a mockery of concentration camps and the slavery of a people, ”Raphael Glucksmann, member of the European Parliament of the center-left Place Publique party, told Politico. “I will actively participate in organizing the opposition to this agreement.” “Labor rights in China are a hot potato, especially given the recent urgent parliament resolution on Xinjiang. If there are no proper commitments on the ILO, then it will be extremely difficult, ”said a source with knowledge of the thinking of both the EU Parliament and the European Commission, which is conducting negotiations with China. The EU is on track to agree to an investment deal in China despite concerns about forced labor The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, told all 27 member states last week that it had made a “political decision in principle. “to accept the agreement, as it considered that Beijing had done so. made enough concessions on market access for European companies in areas such as telecommunications, financial services and electric cars, but the EU Commission was soon faced with questions about its failure to reach a deal that would also include a commitment to China to respect ILO standards. of top think tanks in Europe specializing in China have criticized the EU approach: “One of the main problems is that commitments to improve labor rights remain vague. They do not include critical commitments regarding forced labor, the right of association and are still open to further negotiations. “As soon as the agreement is approved, it will be more difficult to pressure China on this matter, especially now that forced labor seems to have become part of its re-education policy in Xinjiang,” the joint statement issued by 15 specialists reads. Chinese from all over Europe. China has been accused of detaining around a million Uyghurs, mainly Muslims and other minorities, in detention camps and the extensive use of forced labor. China denies using forced labor and insists the camps are vocational training centers to combat extremism. The United States issues restrictions on Xinjiang products, citing the use of forced labor Several diplomatic sources said they believed a deal could be reached between the EU and China by the end of this year, the self-imposed deadline, but it is unclear whether Beijing he intends to make concessions. and adopt international labor standards. On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the staunchest defender of an investment deal with China, took up the issue in the federal parliament, the Bundestag. “In your opinion, can the EU, can Germany accept an investment agreement if China does not ratify these fundamental ILO standards? “Margarete Bause from the Green Party asked. Setting aside her demand for a definitive answer, Merkel replied:” We take these ILO standards very seriously and will strike a good balance. I am well aware of the allegations regarding the Uygurs. ”Beijing’s position on the issue is in contrast to the communist state Vietnam, whose free trade agreement with the EU entered into force earlier this year. As part of the agreement, Hanoi pledged to enact several core ILO conventions, including those on freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the eradication of forced labor and child labor. “China will surely say that we don’t like forced labor either, that there is no forced labor here , and there are unions with Chinese characteristics, and so on, “said the European source.” But I don’t think [French President Emmanuel] Macron would have accepted something that was not strong in TSD, “he added, referring to” trade and sustainable development, “the category under which ILO standards will be mentioned in the investment agreement. With Vietnam, the source told the EU It “took a lot of effort” to get an action plan and timetable, as well as various commitments from the Hanoi authorities on the implementation of ILO conventions. More from South China Morning Post: * The investment agreement between China and the EU will not be a panacea for troubled relationship, observers say * EU states are on track to approve investment deal with China, but concerns about forced labor remain a potential obstacle * EU urges China to give detained Bloomberg staff access to a lawyer US first appeared on the South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post, download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
