China considers lifting sanctions on European lawmakers

According to a report by Politico, citing a senior parliamentary official, China plans to lift sanctions on five current and former members of the European Parliament to pave the way for trade negotiations amid tariffs imposed by the US.

According to the report, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will inform the leaders of the parliamentary groups about this development at a closed session on Wednesday, April 30.

Last week, Metsola’s spokesperson confirmed that negotiations between Brussels and Beijing on lifting the sanctions were in the “final stage”.

In 2021, China had imposed sanctions on some members of the European Parliament in response to restrictions imposed by the European Union (EU) over alleged human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.

Following this step, the European Parliament decided to freeze the investment agreement signed with China until the sanctions against China were lifted.

However, Politico states that European parliamentarians have not softened their criticism of China and believe that President Xi Jinping’s aggressive trade and industrial policies and human rights violations should not go unpunished.

Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, stated that there are still many obstacles to the normalization of trade relations between the EU and China.

Lange said, “We are extremely concerned about China’s industrial policy, which leads to market distortion and creates overcapacity that floods the global market,” adding that he also wanted to discuss the trade barriers imposed by China.

Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament on China’s sanctions list, said, “The reality does not change with the lifting of sanctions.”

Other names sanctioned by China include Bulgarian parliamentarian İlhan Küçük, Slovak Miriam Lexmann, German Michael Gahler, and former parliamentarian Reinhard Bütikofer.

The observed softening in relations between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the European Union has become evident.

In recent weeks, Chinese leader Xi met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Sánchez described China as an important partner for the EU, while Xi Jinping stated they were ready for a comprehensive strategic partnership with Spain.

EU Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, also recently held meetings with his Chinese counterparts. Furthermore, an EU-China summit is planned for July.

In early February, the US imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China, doubling this rate a month later.

Donald Trump also announced the introduction of in-kind tariffs reaching 54% for Beijing.

After China retaliated, the parties continued to mutually increase rates.

Following the latest tension, US tariffs on China reached 145%, while Chinese tariffs on the US reached 125%.

Beijing also imposed restrictions on the export of certain minerals, including critical ones, whereupon the White House threatened a 245% tariff.

For the EU, the tariff rate imposed by the US is at 20%.

Additionally, Trump signed a decree imposing a 25% tariff on all imported steel and aluminum products into the country. This decision affects the EU’s 28 billion euro exports.