Activities of Reinhard BÜTIKOFER related to 2021/2037(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A new EU-China strategy (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a new EU-China strategy
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on a new EU-China strategy
Amendments (31)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to its previous resolutions on the human rights situation in China, in particular those of 21 January 2021 on the crackdown on the democratic opposition in Hong Kong and of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR),
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is convinced that the EU-China bilateral trade and investment relationship is of strategic importance and should be rules-based, with the multilateral trading system at its core; calls on China to fully adhere to all its obligations under WTO rules and advocates in particular cooperation with like-minded partners in order to push back against China's illegal subsidies; notes that Taiwan is a full WTO-member and repeats its call to strengthen economic cooperation with Taiwan and to prepare an investment agreement with Taiwan by concluding the necessary preparatory work such as the scoping exercice in 2021;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
— having regard to its previous resolution on EU-China Relations of 12 September 2018 on the State of EU-China Relations,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
— having regard to China’s 14th Five Year Plan and to the principles of Dual Circulation and Secure Supply Chains,
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned about the increasingly unbalanced EU-China bilateral economic and trade relationship; stresses that rebalancing and a more level playing field are vital to EU interests; underlines that any economic relationship cannot be detached from human rights questions and regrets in this regard the continued use of forced labour in companies' supply chains, in particular of those sourcing from Xinjiang; emphasizes its call on China to ratify and implement pertinent ILO conventions; regrets that several international companies, notably in the apparel and textiles sector, have been subject to an extensive and widespread boycott after expressing concern about the reports on forced labour in Xinjiang and taking the decision to cut supply-chain ties with Xinjiang and strongly condemns the aggressive political coercion exercised against them by the Chinese Government; reiterates its request that the Commission and the European External Action Service swiftly finalise a supply-chain business advisory with guidance for companies on the exposure to risk of using Uyghur forced labour and providing support in urgently identifying alternative sources of supply;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Highlights the urgent need to re- balance EU-China relations through the adoption of a toolbox of autonomous measures including: legislation against distortive effects of foreign subsidies on the internal market; an international procurement instrument; supply-chain legislation with mandatory due diligence requirements which also provide for an import ban on forced labour goods; an enhanced and strengthened EU Foreign Investment Screening Regulation; an effective anti-coercion instrument; additional targeted measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, as necessary, in order to continue addressing repressions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and aimed at China putting an end to all the violations; adequately address China’s cybersecurity threats, hybrid attacks and the civil-military fusion programme;
Amendment 34 #
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 threats to liberal democracyrules based multilateralism and democratic core values;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Repeats its deep concern about the many barriers that European businesses face when accessing and operating on the Chinese market; is worried that China’s ‘dual circulation strategy’ referred to in its 14th Five Year Plan will further deteriorate the business environment for EU companies; highlights again its particular concern about the market distorting practices of Chinese state-owned enterprises, forced technology transfers and data localisation, industrial overcapacity in sectors such as steel and the related dumping of exports, and other unfair trading practices and the overall increasing political interference in the business environment, including the private sector; believes that standardisation policy should become a key pillar of a more strategic EU industrial policy and recalls that standardisation is being reported as an area where China signals clear intentions to diverge and decouple; advocates concerted efforts to reduce European dependencies in strategic sectors like rare earth mining and processing;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas China has a track record of human rights violations that eschew the country’s bilateral and multilateral commitments in these areas; whereas China has regularly submitted resolutions to the UN Human Rights Council aimed at making‘sovereignty, non-interference and mutual respect’ fundamental non- negotiable principles, and rendering the promotion and protection of human rights of individuals an afterthought; whereas China has been conducting the systemic persecution of the Uyghur people, Tibetans, Mongols and other ethnic minorities, human rights defenders, social activists, religious groups, journalists, and petitioners and protesters against injustices, as well as increasingly repressing all dissenting and opposition voices, especially in Hong Kong;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the recent departure of foreign correspondents from China and the labelling by the Chinese authorities of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club as an “illegal organization” are the latest of the many and increasing cases of harassment and obstruction against foreign journalists and of them being ultimately driven out of China; whereas this is part of an effort to police speech about China world-wide and to determine what kind of speech and discussions would be allowed globally, and sees this effort as part of a totalitarian threat;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. WelcomTakes the conclusposition that the political levelany consideration of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI); recalls that the CAI has to be considered in the context of a strengthened EU toolbox of unilateral measures; underlines it will thoroughly scrutinise the agreement, including its sustainable development section, and take stock of the human rights context, before determining its position, as well as any discussion on ratification by the European Parliament, has justifiably been frozen because of the Chinese sanctions in place; demands that China lift the sanctions before Parliament can deal with the CAI, without prejudice to the final outcome of the CAI ratification process; expects the Commission to consult with Parliament before taking any steps towards the conclusion and signature of the CAI; calls on the Commission to use the debate around the CAI as leverage to improve the protection of human rights and support for civil society in China and reminds the Commission that Parliament will take the human rights situation in China, including in Hong Kong, into account when asked to endorse the CAI;
Amendment 112 #
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, nuclear disarmament and the fight against global pandemics;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Supports greater dialogue and cooperation with China on peace and security, sustainable development, science, technology and innovation, environmental issues, space and aerospace; endorses seeking cooperation on sustainable development, environmental issues, space and aerospace, science, technology and innovation, while making sure that European interests and values are safeguarded and while developing Europe’s ability to compete with China wherever necessary ;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underscores the importance of capitalising on China’s commitment to tackling climate change by reinforcing partnership and competition 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; calls on the Chinese government to refrain from exporting its coal capacity to third countries, notably in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI);
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for Human Rights Dialogues to be held regularly and calls for a solid benchmarking of the progress made in bilateral dialogues more generally; requests that human rights be regularly raised at the highest political level, both at EU-China Summits and at Member States’ level;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to use the debate around 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 and reminds the Commission that it will take the human rights situation in China, including in Hong Kong, into account when asked to endorse CAI;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a
Paragraph 8 – point a
(a) having a binding timetable for China’s ratification and implementation of keyall the fundamental International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on labour rights and a robust monitoring mechanism, as well as concrete measures orand steps towards putting an end to other human rights violations against the Uyghur minority in China;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 8 – point c a (new)
(c a) having a set of autonomous measures in force, including: legislation against distortive effects of foreign subsidies on the internal market; an international procurement instrument; supply chain legislation with mandatory due diligence requirements which also provide for an import ban on forced labour goods; an enhanced and strengthened EU Foreign Investment Screening Regulation; an effective anti- coercion instrument; adequately address China’s cybersecurity threats, hybrid attacks and the civil-military fusion programme;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. States its strong support for UN to carry out legal investigations into alleged genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the Xinjiang regionHigh Commissioner for Human Rights to launch investigations proprio motu and asks the Member States to provide their strong political backing to that end to carry out legal investigations into alleged genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the Xinjiang region; calls on the Chinese authorities to allow free, meaningful and unhindered access to the region; calls for the EU and the Member States to encourage the UN Secretary General to appoint a Special Envoy on China; is extremely concerned about reports of labour programs in Tibet, which are also being labelled "vocational training camps" by Chinese authorities;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on EU and Member States’ leadership to coordinate with other partners a political boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Calls for more reciprocity in the area of media openness vis-a-vis China and reserves the right to take regulatory consequences if China further restricts its media environment for foreign media; suggests diversifying Chinese language media in Europe, in particular television programs, by either creating alternatives on its own or by cooperating with international partners, like Taiwan; highlights the importance of EU’s cultural diplomacy and cultural exchange and suggests strengthening the presence of cultural institutes of EU Member States in third countries through better intra- European cooperation and funding;
Amendment 272 #
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, building on its recent comprehensive analysis “Strategic dependencies and capacities"1a setting out plans to reduce any risks related to dependency, while maintaining overall trade relations with China, which should be as open as possible; _________________ 1a SWD(2021) 352 final
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Believes that standardisation policy should become a key pillar of a more strategic EU industrial policy and recalls that standardisation is being reported as an area where China signals clear intentions to diverge and decouple;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
(b) building on the EU toolbox for national risk-mitigating measures, to develop jointglobal standards in partnership with like-minded partners, for the new generation of technologies, such as 5G and 6G networks;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point c
Paragraph 14 – point c
(c) strengthening the EU’s unique brand of responsible global leadership, including through its global connectivity strategy;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d
Paragraph 14 – point d
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Expresses strong concern about China’s assertive behaviour, including airspace intrusions and naval exercises, in the South China Sea, East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait that threatens freedom of navigation and increases the risk of military confrontations; calls on China and affected countries in the regions, includingt the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to increase multilateral diplomatic exchanges in order to achieve a peaceful resolution of disputes and controversies in these areas; insists that contested territorial issues, such as in the South China Sea, should be solved according to international law under the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS);
Amendment 424 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the CAI and othereconomic and trade defence instruments mitigate the distorting effects caused by Chinese subsidies on state-owned companies when moving to acquire EU companies and bid in EU public procurement procedures;
Amendment 435 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Considers it necessary to conclude a Bilateral Investment Agreement with Taiwan in parallel with the CAI and in line with the EU's One China policy, which would ensure thatfoster stability is safeguarded in the region and the right to Taiwan’s democratic existence is reaffirmedn the region, create additional integration of supply chains in strategic sectors and contribute to strengthening Taiwan’s democracy;
Amendment 479 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Believes that the Conference on the Future of Europe should be used to give the VP/HR a stronger mandate to act on behalf of the EU and take the necessary steps to introduce qualitied majority voting in certain areas of foreign affairs, as well as to create a European Defence Union;
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls for defence cooperation among the Member States to be strengthened and for the Member States to invest in stronger cooperation with other democratic players such as Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and, New Zealand, Canada and calls on the EEAS and the Member States to prioritise and strengthen the Strategic Partnership with ASEAN and the Africa Union;