Changes from resolution motion to resolution motion joint

AddedQ. whereas China has made progress in the economic and social fields, but is dismally failing to guarantee basic international standards of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

R. whereas in its Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy, the EU pledged to step up its efforts to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law across all aspects of its external action, and to place human rights at the centre of its relations with all third countries, including its strategic partners;

Change 2

Removedwhereas since President Xi Jinping assumed power in March 2013, the human rights situation in China has continued to deteriorate; whereas the Chinese Government has increased its hostility towards peaceful dissent, the freedoms of expression and religion, and the rule of law; whereas the Chinese authorities have detained and prosecuted hundreds of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists;

Added1. Strongly condemns the government-led system of forced labour, in particular the exploitation of Uyghur, ethnic Kazakh and Kyrgyz, and other Muslim minority groups, in factories both within and outside of internment camps in Xinjiang, as well as the transfer of forced labourers to other Chinese administrative divisions, and the fact that wellknown European brands and companies have been benefiting from the use of forced labour; calls on the relevant actors from the private sector to assess their engagements in Xinjiang, to exercise their corporate responsibility, to conduct independent audits of human rights compliance in their full supply chains, and to terminate business relations where these are found to abet human rights violations or, where it is impossible to ascertain whether there have been violations, either directly or indirectly, through the activity of one of their suppliers or business relationships on their value chain in China;

Removedwhereas multiple media, NGOs and governments have reported that since April 2017, the PRC government arbitrarily detained more than an estimated one to two million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Hui, and members of other Muslim groups, as well as Uyghur Christians, in purpose built detention camps, for which the Chinese government claims that such camps are built for re-education and vocation purposes;

Added2. Is deeply concerned about the increasingly oppressive regime that many religious and ethnic minorities, in particular the Uyghurs and the Kazakhs, are facing, which violate their human dignity, as well as their rights to freedom of cultural expression and religious belief, to freedom of speech and expression, and to peaceful assembly and association; deplores the worsening human rights situation across mainland China and in Hong Kong, and demands that the Chinese authorities respect fundamental freedoms;

Removedwhereas many of those imprisoned in such camps are thought to be subject arbitrary detention, forced labour, physical and psychological abuse, political indoctrination, forced sterilizations, sexual abuse and torture; whereas the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are thought to be directly linked to some of these cases;

Added3. Deeply deplores the ongoing persecution and the serious and systematic human rights violations that amount to crimes against humanity; urges the Chinese Government to put an immediate end to the practice of arbitrary detention without charge, trial or conviction for criminal offences of members of the Uyghur and other Muslim minorities, to close all camps and detention centres, and to immediately and unconditionally release those detained; calls on the Chinese authorities to cease governmentsponsored programmes of forced labour and mass sterilisation; calls on the Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to provide information about the location and medical conditions of those detained, and to immediately release them if there is no evidence of actual criminal activity;

Removedwhereas the Chinese government claims that the internment camps were being closed, whereas recent research found that more than 380 suspected detention facilities have been newly built or expanded since 2017, with at least 61 detention sites newly constructed or expanded between July 2019 and July 2020;

Added4. Strongly condemns the extensive use of digital surveillance technologies to monitor and control the population in Xinjiang, and the most recently revealed tests of facial recognition software which could send ‘Uyghur alarms’ to government authorities when its camera systems identify members of the Uyghur minority; regrets the fact that China is not complying with its own commitments entered into by adhering to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development principles on human-centred artificial intelligence and by having subscribed to the G20 declaration of June 2019, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue calling on China to adhere to its own commitments in this regard;

Removedwhereas the attempt to erase the Uyghur’s distinctive cultural identity has also caused immense suffering of hundreds of thousands of Uyghur children; whereas research indicates that by the end of 2019, approximately 880,500 Uyghur children had been placed in boarding facilities, and increase of nearly 383,000 since 2017; whereas inside these boarding schools, Uyghur children are prohibited to perform every-day religious practices and have to renounce their cultural identity, being forced to undergo political indoctrination;

Added5. Calls on the Chinese authorities to allow free, meaningful and unhindered access to Xinjiang province, and unrestricted access to the internment camps for journalists and international observers, including to EU officials, following President Xi Jinping’s invitation during the EU-China Summit of 14 September 2020, to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the mandate holders of the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures; calls for the EU and the Member States to continue insisting on the establishment of a UN fact-finding mission to Xinjiang and the appointment of a Special Envoy;

Removedwhereas multiple NGOs and media have reported that 80,000 Uyghurs were enrolled in in conditions believed to amount to forced labour through labour transfer programs under a central government policy known as “Xinjiang aid” in factories across China between 2017 and 2019;

Added6. Requests China to allow a mission from the European Parliament to Xinjiang on the condition that it is given free and unrestricted access, while guaranteeing confidentiality and safety for the local population;

RemovedChina is one of the largest cotton producers in the world, with the Uyghur region producing more than 20 percent of the world’s cotton; whereas foreign companies’ supply chains are allegedly tainted by Uyghur forced labour, particularly in the textile, apparel and footwear industry; whereas more than 80 international brand-name corporations have been reported to allegedly profit directly or indirectly from Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains; whereas the current context of oppression prevents independent investigations and audits to be conducted in the Uyghur region;

Added7. Strongly condemns the reported massive campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to suppress Uyghur birth rates in Xinjiang, and calls on the Chinese authorities to put an immediate end to any measures aimed at preventing births in the Uyghur population, including forced sterilisations, abortions or sanctions against birth control violations;

Removedwhereas strong evidence suggests that the production of the majority of Xinjiang’s cotton involves a coercive, state-run program targeting ethnic minority groups;

Added8. Urges the Chinese Government to ratify and implement ILO Convention n°29 on Forced Labour, ILO Convention n°105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour, ILO Convention n°87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and ILO Convention n°98 on the Right to Organise and to Collective Bargaining; urges China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

Removedwhereas NGOs and media have reported evidence of government campaigns to restrict population growth among Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, especially in rural areas, seemingly to aim at sterilizing women of childbearing age with three or more children, through the use of forced abortions, intrauterine injections, sterilization and birth quotas, which if proven could meet internationally agreed genocide criteria; whereas in 2018, 80 percent of all new IUD placements in China were performed in the Uyghur region, despite the fact that it makes up only 1.8 percent of China’s population;

Added9. Expresses deep concern over reports concerning the harassment of Uyghurs abroad by the Chinese authorities in order to force them to act as informants against other Uyghurs, return to Xinjiang or remain silent about the situation there, sometimes by detaining their family members; calls on the Commission and all EU Member States to investigate these reports as a matter of urgency, to ensure the protection of members of the Xinjiang diaspora, and to expedite asylum requests from Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims; welcomes the decision taken by Germany and Sweden to suspend the return of all ethnic Uyghurs, Kazakhs or other Turkic Muslims to China in view of the risk of arbitrary detention, torture or other ill-treatment;

Removedwhereas Uyghur Muslims are thought to endure much government harassment, with the celebration of religious holidays, studying religious texts, or showing one's religion through personal appearance forbidden in state schools and other contexts, and the destruction of thousands of Mosques and other sites of religious and cultural importance;

Added10. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to start a dialogue with states where Uyghurs are at risk of deportation to China to prevent such deportations from occurring; calls on members of the Council to suspend their extradition treaties with the People’s Republic of China, to prevent the extradition of Uyghurs, citizens of Hong Kong, Tibetans, or Chinese dissidents in Europe to stand political trial in the People’s Republic of China;

Removedwhereas Uyghur Muslims are thought to be subject to invasive surveillance, including heavy government monitoring of an individuals’ movements, communications and religious activities, through means including digital surveillance and biometric technologies;

Added11. Calls on the EU to proactively work towards an independent UN inquiry on China with a view to ensuring accountability for the crimes committed;

Removedwhereas Chinese government agents are thought to be monitoring, intimidating and harassing Uyghurs living in the EU and elsewhere outside of China, including the ceasing of political activity or selling information on the actions of other Uyghurs abroad in return for the safety of relatives in China;

Added12. Express its deep concern at the Chinese state’s measures to ensure the ‘comprehensive supervision’ of Xinjiang through the installation of Skynet electronic surveillance in major urban areas and GPS trackers in all motor vehicles, the use of facial recognition scanners at checkpoints and train and petrol stations, using software based on artificial intelligence camera systems aimed at identifying Uyghurs and other members of ethnic minority groups, and the blood collection campaign by Xinjiang police in order to further expand China’s DNA database; expresses deep concern at the latest revelations concerning a list containing details of more than 2 000 Uighur detainees held in Aksu prefecture between 2016 and 2018; expresses further concerns that China is exporting such technologies to authoritarian regimes around the world; calls for the EU and the Member States to monitor the acquisition and development of these technologies, and the activity of their providers, and to refrain from giving them access to EU and national public funding and public procurement;

Removedwhereas in light of the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Xinjiang over recent years, these latest developments represent a highly concerning increase in human rights violations against the already vulnerable Uyghur minority in China;

Added13. Criticises the procurement of thermal cameras from Hikivision by Parliament’s administration and by the Commission; insists on the introduction of a circumspect procurement policy that takes human rights concerns duly into account; urges Parliament’s administration and its President to immediately sever any direct or indirect business relationship with Hikivision, and to improve the transparency of its procurement activities;

Removedwhereas Uyghurs who have fled China have been deported back to China, by states including Thailand, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where they may face torture and arbitrary detention on return to China;

Added14. Calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the Uyghur scholar and Sakharov Prize 2019 winner Ilham Tohti, and to ensure, in the meantime, that he has regular and unrestricted access to his family and the lawyers of his choice, and that he is not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment; calls for an immediate, effective and impartial investigation into the alleged torture of Ilham Tohti and for those responsible to be brought to justice;

RemovedStrongly condemns the mass incarceration of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang region, where many are subject to arbitrary detention; denounces the use of forced labour, forced sterilizations and torture within government sponsored programmes; and strongly condemns the intimidation and harassment of Uyghurs living outside of China by Chinese government agents;

Added15. Welcomes the inclusion in the Commission’s Work Programme for 2021 of a legislative initiative on mandatory human rights supply chain due diligence legislation; calls on the Commission to adopt relevant legislative proposals during the second quarter of 2021 at the latest and as planned, comprising three distinct, yet mutually reinforcing proposals on directors’ duties and sustainable corporate governance, on corporate human rights and environmental due diligence, and on the reform of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive; is of the view that, in order to effectively address the issue of forced labour and other human rights violations in companies’ supply chains, such legislation should also include a prohibition of placing the relevant goods on the EU market; recalls, in this respect, its position in its recent resolution on the Trade Policy Review, calling for complementary measures, such as banning the import of products linked to severe human rights violations such as forced labour or child labour;

RemovedCalls on the Commission to take the lead in urging the Chinese government to end the extrajudicial detention of Uyghurs and to ensure self-determination of citizens regarding labour and mobility;

Added16. Calls on the Member States, in accordance with their competences and national circumstances, to step up their efforts to effectively implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including through new or updated National Action Plans containing a mix of voluntary and mandatory measures;

RemovedCalls on Chinese authorities to immediately cease programmes of mass incarceration of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang region; calls on Chinese authorities to cease government sponsored programmes of forced labour and mass sterilization;

Added17. Is of the opinion that the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China must include adequate commitments to respect international conventions against forced labour; considers, in particular, that China should therefore ratify ILO Conventions 29 and 105;

RemovedWelcome the EU’s repeated statements on Xinjiang at the UN Human Rights Council, but deeply regret that not all EU Member States support a Germany-led international statement the UN General Assembly in October; reiterate its call on Member States to act unitedly and resolutely to address China’s abysmal human rights violations and its assault on the global human rights system, and to proactively work towards an independent UN inquiry on China with a view to ensuring accountability for the crimes committed;

Added18. Welcomes the recent agreement reached by the co-legislators on the reform of the EU Dual Use Regulation on the grounds of national security and human rights considerations;

RemovedCalls on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti and all other human rights defenders, activists, lawyers, journalists and petitioners detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression, and to end the ongoing crackdown involving detention, judicial harassment and intimidation;

Added19. Urges the Commission, the Council and the Member States to take all necessary measures to persuade the Chinese Government to close the camps and to end all human rights violations in Xinjiang and in other places, such as Tibet; calls for the EU and its Member States to reiterate this message to the Chinese Government on every occasion and at the highest levels; regrets the fact that the approach taken and the tools used by the EU so far have not yielded tangible progress in China’s human rights record, which has only deteriorated over the last decade; urges the Commission to devise and implement a holistic EU strategy with a view to securing genuine progress on human rights in China; urges the Chinese authorities to continue to implement the national reforms required to ratify the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was signed by China in 1998, and to implement the recommendations of UN human rights bodies;

RemovedCalls on Chinese authorities to provide unfettered and meaningful access for independent, international and impartial investigations into the treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang region;

Added20. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on 7 December 2020; calls on the Member States and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to swiftly evaluate the adoption of sanctions against the Chinese officials and state-led entities, such as Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation, responsible for devising and implementing the policy of mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, for the use of forced labour, and for orchestrating the severe repression of religious freedom, freedom of movement and other basic rights in the region and in other places, such as Tibet;

RemovedUrges the Chinese authorities to build a civic space in which the rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities to respect their freedom of religious belief, including the right to manifest one’s religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance; calls on the Chinese authorities to cease the destruction of Uyghur cultural sites of historic or religious importance;

Added21. Calls on the Council and Commission to implement the package of measures agreed in July, including the creation of a ‘lifeboat scheme’ for oppressed people in China, following the further deterioration in human rights and fundamental freedoms;

RemovedUrges the Chinese authorities to desist from the invasive surveillance of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang region, in respect of the right of individuals to be protected against arbitrary interference with one’s privacy, family, home or correspondence;

Added22. Reiterates its support for the forthcoming EU-US Dialogue on China, and urges that human rights should feature prominently on its agenda; calls for greater coordination among democracies in implementing sanctions and other measures to address human rights violations in mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as the geopolitical challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China;

RemovedNotes that previous efforts such as the European Parliament Resolution on the Situation of Uyghurs in Xinjiang from 19 December 2019 and stressing the dire human rights situation in Xinjiang on 19 June 2020 in the Resolution on Hong Kong have not yet resulted in any meaningful change in behaviour from the Chinese government;

Added23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China.

RemovedStrongly urges the Council to use the newly adopted Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanism, the “EU-Magnitsky Act”, to target Chinese officials who are guilty of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and other religious and ethnic minorities within China, and generally against any citizen of the People’s Republic of China; including through the implementation of travel bans and asset freezes; calls on the Council and Member States to propose targeted sanctions against the individuals and organisations responsible for the gravest human rights abuses in the Uyghur region, including the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, responsible for the mass surveillance and detention of millions of Uyghurs, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a paramilitary organisation controlling many sites in which forced labour is prevalent, and six individuals holding senior positions within these organisations are also found to be directly responsible for these programmes, namely Chen Quanguo, Zhu Hailun, Sun Jinlong, Peng Jiarui, Wang Mingshan and Huo Liujun;

RemovedIs alarmed by recent reports which indicate that data from surveillance systems, such as from tech giant Huawei, which has tested facial recognition software that could send automated “Uyghur alarms” to government authorities, is used to identify and arbitrarily target Uyghurs for possible detention;

RemovedCalls for the EU to halt all exports and technology transfers of goods and services that are being used by China to extend and improve its cyber surveillance, by making effective use of appropriate export control mechanisms;

RemovedCalls on the Commission to urgently bring forward planned legislation on a Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Framework, and extend the scope to hold companies, both from the EU and third countries, accountable for failures to publish and effectively implement adequate due diligence to ensure the removal of forced labour and child labour from supply chains and conduct due diligence obligations in regard to conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs), to make the process more accessible, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); calls on the Commission to issue special guidance for firms operating in the Xinjiang region on the risk of encountering the use of forced labour in supply chains;

RemovedEncourages the creation of a sustainable EU strategy, including financial support, to diversify production chains and relocate production facilities from China back to the EU

RemovedCalls on the Commission to ensure an enforceable strong trade and sustainability chapter, including labour and human rights, in the negotiations with China on a Comprehensive Investment Agreement; Strongly calls on the Commission to request China to ratify and implement the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 1930 Convention on Forced Labour (No. 29), as well as the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention;

RemovedCalls on the Commission to establish a direct channel of contact with relevant Chinese trade authorities to strengthen the process of monitoring and detection of exports and products that have been made and packaged using forced and child labour;

RemovedCalls on the Commission and Member States to work with states where Uyghurs are at risk of deportation to China to prevent such deportations from occurring;

RemovedObserves that the PRC continues to undertake an unprecedented crackdown on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong under the National Security Law;

RemovedCalls on the Council and Commission to implement the package of measures agreed in July for Hong Kong, including the creation of a 'lifeboat scheme' for citizens of Hong Kong and other oppressed minorities following a further deterioration of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

RemovedCalls on the Council members to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC, to prevent the extradition of Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Tibetans, or other Chinese dissidents in Europe to stand political trial in the PRC;

RemovedCalls on Member States to invoke China’s responsibility for breaches of the Genocide Convention and take action in the appropriate multilateral forums, including the UN Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly;