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The European Parliament has expressed fierce opposition to advancing a market access treaty with China by declaring it “frozen”, a sign of growing tensions between the bloc and Beijing.
MEPs on Thursday voted by an overwhelming majority to halt ratification of the pact under discussion over retaliatory sanctions imposed by Beijing on European parliamentarians, diplomats, academics and think tanks. Thursday’s resolution was passed with 599 votes in favor, 30 against and 58 abstentions.
Although it has no legal force, the vote shows the obstacle to implementing the agreement, which requires the approval of the EU parliament. It also reflects a shift in EU capital against the deal, which was agreed at the political level only in December.
Beijing slapped sanctions in response to EU travel bans and asset freezes imposed on four Chinese officials and a security organization for the mass persecution and internment of Uighur Muslims. China’s measures are aimed at high-profile critics of its policies, but also include EU institutional bodies such as the bloc’s political and security committee made up of ambassadors from the 27 member states.
Reinhard Bütikofer, a German green MEP who chairs the Chinese delegation to the EU parliament and was one of the sanctioned, said the legislature “will not move”. He said Beijing’s efforts to control the global conversation about China were “as ridiculous as they are arrogant and will fail.”
“With its sanctions, China has miscalculated,” he said. “They have to learn from their mistakes and rethink.”
Pedro Marques, a Socialist MEP from Portugal, said China had been guilty of an “attack on European democracy”, declaring: “We will not tolerate it”.
The row of investment agreements underscores a growing EU debate over China’s policy, as the United States seeks to build international alliances to counter Beijing in areas such as trade and security. The European bloc is expanding its own armory of economic weapons, including proposals to ban some foreign companies subsidized by the state of the EU single market.
Sigrid Kaag, the Dutch trade minister, said his country was “very supportive” of the EU parliament’s decision on the investment deal.
He noted China’s growing “political pressure”, including the incorporation of a Dutch MP from his own Liberal Party D66 into the sanctions list.
Kaag also called for better coordination between the EU institutions to establish a coherent policy on China.
“It’s an example of a broader difficult relationship in which we need to find ways forward,” he said Thursday. “We can’t just build small, simple modules to check boxes and not connect dots.”
The investment agreement has long been sought by the EU and would open up opportunities for EU companies operating in the Chinese market, while trying to address long-term unfair treatment complaints.
Industries that, on paper, would enjoy improved access conditions include the automotive sector, private healthcare, cloud computing and ancillary services for air transportation.
The political agreement was pushed through the last days of the German rotating EU presidency in December, with strong support from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Armin Laschet, his center-right party’s candidate for German chancellor in the September election, hinted on Wednesday that the deal could not be ratified if sanctions were not lifted. “If you want to be [our] mate, you have to show mutual respect, ”he said. “So on this issue I would like to see a move by China.”
Beijing’s mission to the EU said: “China’s decision to take countermeasures is a legitimate response to EU unilateral sanctions and confrontations. China always has the sincerity to promote cooperation with the EU. We hope that the EU side will work with us in the same direction. “
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