Beijing calls for ‘objective’ assessment of Xinjiang policy as EU takes China to task over human rights
- Brussels urges China to proportional measures in Xinjiang, where system of re-education camps for Muslim Uygurs is in operation
The European Union has voiced concern about “worrying developments” in China’s western Xinjiang region and called for the release of dissidents and human rights campaigners from custody.
The bloc of 28 nations made the call during the two-day EU-China Human Rights Dialogue held in Brussels, Belgium, this week which was attended by senior Chinese and European officials.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is expected to attend a China-EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels on April 9.
The EU highlighted the erosion of civil and political rights in China, marked by the arrests and detention of campaigners and lawyers.
Brussels demanded the release of Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen and a Hong Kong bookseller who has been detained in China since January last year; Uygurs who live in Xinjiang including the jailed scholar Ilham Tohti; human rights lawyers such as Wang Quanzhang and Wang Yu, and campaigners such as Wu Gan.
The EU said its officials also raised the cases of Canadian detainees Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, as well as Robert Schellenberg, who has been sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
