In a report on the effects of China’s growing presence in Africa that was published this year, the EP Development Committee stresses China’s investment with no strings attached in African countries ruled by oppressive regimes. This policy helps perpetuate human rights violations, say MEPs in the committee, who also highlight Beijing’s role in the spread of arms and the conditions under which natural resources are being exploited.
The report, drafted by Ana GOMES (PES, PT), urges the EU to call on China “to suspend any arms trade deals with those governments that are responsible for human rights violations, are involved in conflicts or on the brink of war”, such as Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea. In addition, says the report, China should increase the transparency of its national arms export control regime, namely by ensuring complete reporting on exports to the UN Register on Conventional Arms Exports. For her as stressed during a interview before the initial debate, China’s scramble for resources has negative consequences, not just in conflict areas such as Darfur, but also for attempts to build an industrial base for example in textiles, and by perpetuating corrupt and oppressive elites…China has problems of good governance, respect for human rights and core labour standards, and corruption – which it might be exporting to African countries.
The EU should maintain its arms embargo on China, adds the committee, for as long as China continues to export arms to armed forces and armed groups in countries, many of them in Africa, that fuels and perpetuates conflicts and perpetrate gross violations of human rights.
