Activities of Maria ARENA related to 2021/2037(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A new EU-China strategy (debate)
Amendments (43)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 d (new)
Citation 5 d (new)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Council regulation (EU 2020/1998 and to the Council Decision (CFSP 2020/1999 of 7 December 2020 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament report with recommendations to the Commission on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability (2020/2129 (INL));
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution on 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (2020/2913 RSP);
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 e (new)
Citation 5 e (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 21 April2021 on an EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo- Pacific;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 f (new)
Citation 5 f (new)
— having regard to the joint communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, TheCouncil, The European Economic and Social Committee of the Regions - Tackling Covid-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right (JOIN/2020/8 final);
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas through its strong economic growth and ambitious foreign policy agenda, China is asserting a stronger global role both as an economic power and as foreign policy actor, which poses serious political, economic, security and technological challenges to the EU, has significant consequences for the world order and poses serious threats to liberal democracy;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law should remain at the centre of the relationship between the EU and China, in line with the EU’s commitment to upholding these fundamental principles in all areas of its external action;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas since the launch of the Chinese government’s “Strike hard against violent terrorism” campaign in 2014, the situation of Uyghur and other primarily Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region have rapidly deteriorated and whereas more than one million people are imprisoned in detention camps, called ‘political re-education’ or ‘training’ centres, which constitutes the largest mass incarceration system in the world; whereas the Chinese government has developed a massive coercive labour training and transfer scheme, in which Uyghur workers are enrolled and subject to systemic forced and prison labour;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas the Uyghur population is victim of the Chinese government’s efforts to eradicate their unique identity and existence as a population through torture, enforced disappearance, mass surveillance, cultural and religious erasure, forced sterilization of women, sexual violence and violations of reproductive rights and family separation; whereas credible legal analysis has concluded that these offences knowingly committed as part of a widespread and systemic attack against the civilian population are assessed as crimes against humanity within the international legal framework;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the EU Global Human Rights sanctions regime enables the EU to impose restrictive measures on targeted individuals, entities and bodies, including states and non-states actors responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses, including slavery; whereas on 22nd March 2021 four Chinese individuals and one entity directly responsible for serious human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have been included in the list of natural persons and entities subject to these restrictive measures;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas in response to these measures addressing human rights violations and abuses, China imposed counter-sanctions on ten European individuals and four entities, including five Members of the European Parliament and two EU institutional bodies, the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament and the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union; whereas Chinese sanctions lack legal justifications and legal basis and directly target not only individuals and entities concerned but the European Union as a whole;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the existing EU China Strategy has revealed its limitations in the light of recent developments and the challenges posed by China; whereas China can no longer be considered, equally and at the same time, as a partner, a competitor and a rival;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) elaborate a more assertive EU- China strategy that unites all Member States and shapes relations with Beijing in the interest of the EU as a whole, whilith the defendingce of our values at its core and promoting a rules-based multilateral order;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point 1
Paragraph 1 – point b – point 1
1) Open principled and interests- based dialogue on global challenges;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point 2
Paragraph 1 – point b – point 2
2) Enhanced engagement on human rights issues through economic leverage;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Open principled and interests-based dialogue on global challenges
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the VP/HR to ensure that the new EU-China strategy involves China in an open dialogue on global challenges, such as climate change and the fight against global pandemics; Acknowledges the de facto necessity to engage with China on various global issues such as the fight against climate change, environmental issues, peace and security, sustainable development and space; Calls on the VP/HR to ensure that the new EU-China strategy involves China on global challenges in a dialogue driven by EU fundamental principles and interests and pursuing the core objectives of EU external engagement,
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underscores the importance of capitalising onencouraging China’s commitment to tackling climate change and other environmental issues by reinforcing a balanced partnership in this field and emphasises the need to ensure that China commits to peak its emissions before 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement by implementing a carbon border adjustment mechanism; Stresses the need to ensure coherence between China’s announced global ambitions in the fight against climate change and the environmental impacts of its investment strategies at home and overseas;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for Human Rights Dialogues to be held regularly and calls for a solid benchmarkingthe EU to rethink its approach to Human Rights Dialogues with China in order to ensure that these exchanges produce genuine positive outcomes for human rights and human rights defenders in China; insists ofn the progress made in bilateral dialogues more generallynecessity to complement these EU-China Human Rights Dialogues with systematic human rights discussions at other high- level EU-China summits and bilateral meetings;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Enhanced engagement on human rights issues through economic leverage
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Urges the Commission and the EEAS to jointly develop an ambitious, holistic and results-oriented EU strategy for Human Rights in China articulating the use of all areas and instruments of EU external actions and setting concrete goals such as the closure of detention camps in Xinjiang, the end of the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities and human rights defenders and the abolition of death penalty;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to use the suspension of the ratification process of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) as a leverage instrument to improve the protection of human rights and support for civil society in China;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
8. Underlines the inevitable conditions and pre- ratification commitments that must be met before Parliament can give its consent to the EU- China CAI, notably:
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a
Paragraph 8 – point a
(a) having a timetable for China’s ratification and full implementation of key International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on labour rights and a robust monitoring mechanism, as well as concrete measures or steps towards putting an end to other human rights violations against the Uyghur minority in China; (C029 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930; C087 -Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention,1948; C098 - Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949; C105- Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957) and a robust monitoring mechanism with unhindered access to workplaces enabling proper verification of standards implementation;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 8 – point a a (new)
(a a) a “Human rights” clause must be integrated as an essential element of the agreement. This clause should stipulating clearly that respect and protection of human rights, as defined my customary law and international conventions, are binding obligations on the parties and allowing the parties to require appropriate measures from the partner to comply, or to partly or fully suspend the agreement in case of violations;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a b (new)
Paragraph 8 – point a b (new)
(a b) Ensure that the violation of the revised Investment and Sustainable Development Section of the agreement can lead to sanctions;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a c (new)
Paragraph 8 – point a c (new)
(a c) the creation of an independent Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), composed of civil society organisations and human rights defenders, provided with the task of monitoring the implementation of all provisions on the agreement and its impact on human, labour and environmental rights. It should be provided with adequate competences and resources to investigate specific issues and cases;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a d (new)
Paragraph 8 – point a d (new)
(a d) reliable evidence of sustainable termination of human rights violations against the Uyghur population and other minorities in China;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b
Paragraph 8 – point b
(b) the repeal by China of the National Security Law imposed on Hong- Kong in June 2020, the release of pro- democracy legislators and activists and a recommitment by China to uphold its international commitments to Hong Kong under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong’s Basic Law;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. SReiterates its call on China to allow un hindered access to an independent investigation mission in Xinjiang and states its support for UN to carry out legal investigations into alleged genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the Xinjiang region;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the introduction of a unilateral ban on the import of products from forced labour and child labour or any other form of modern slavery, including cotton from the Xinjiang region in the EU market;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to put forward the proposed EU legislation for Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Framework as a matter of urgency; recalls that in order to be effective against human rights violations and environmental degradations in China, due diligence obligations must be imposed on both EU companies and non-EU companies operating in the EU market and must cover the entire global value chains of these companies; they must be carefully enforced and monitored;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure protection of EU and Chinese citizens and EU residents members of the Uyghur Diaspora communities harassed and persecuted in the EU by Chinese authorities, and to investigate the reports of threats and reprisals as a matter of urgency; Calls on the EU Member States to reassess and abolish their extradition agreements with China in the light of the Chinese Government’s severe violations against its population and citizens abroad and in light of the recent sanctions, which could criminalize any Chinese citizen in Europe for interacting with individuals and entities sanctioned;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to commission an EU-wide audit of the EU dependency on China in certain strategically important and critical sectors, setting out plans to reduce dependency, while maintaining overall trade relations with China, which should be as openbalanced as possible;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a
Paragraph 14 – point a
(a) presfosterving the EU’s unity;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to counter China’s influence strategy in the EU’s neighbourhood, in particular through investment;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. calls on the Commission and Member States to equip themselves with the necessary resources and tools to analyse and counter China State and non- state actors’ hybrid threats and multiple interferences in our democratic systems, including in the cyberspace;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17 c. calls on the Commission to encourage and coordinate actions aimed to counter China’s foreign financing of our democratic processes, including the strategy of elite capture and the technique of co-opting top-level civil servants and former European politicians;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Commission to propose a strategy to deal with trade imbalances more broadly, going beyond the current trade defensive instruments, if necessary, so as to tackle the large structural trade deficit, China’s use of large-scale export credits and loans, the opaque financing of strategic Chinese companies, China’s policy of indigenous innovation connected to efforts to promote Chinese standards while allowing its companies not to pay a fair price for the use of standard essential patents, and its endeavour to become a leading export nation of advanced technological goods;