Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-15-Speech-3-142"
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"en.20000315.4.3-142"2
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"Madam President, the presentation by the Council of a first EU annual report on human rights was a welcome contribution to the on-going debate. In particular I welcome the information it contains regarding the EU-China human rights dialogue. While this dialogue can and does play a role in the transformation of human rights issues in China, it will only bear fruit if the European Union speaks and acts as one. Too often in the past EU Member States have allowed themselves to be blackmailed by China.
At previous sessions of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, when some Member States were raising China's appalling human rights record, they were picked off one by one because of threatened trade sanctions by China.
Capitulating to China was both immoral and cowardly. It was immoral to extend greater priority to the importance of trade interests over human rights and is in marked contrast to our approach in relation to the bilateral trade agreements we have with developing countries. It was cowardly also. History has consistently shown that the correct approach is to stand up to a bully. Attempts to compromise are always interpreted as weakness by bullies, and China is such a bully.
We see this in its response to legitimate international concerns about its human rights record. It treats the views of the outside world with contempt. We witnessed it again at last week's conference of the National People's Congress in Beijing. Its warmongering tone in relation to Taiwan is unacceptable and is a direct interference in Taiwan's presidential election. Its arrogance in relation to its treatment of Falun Gong practitioners and dissidents also cannot be tolerated.
In Geneva, and elsewhere, the EU should take every opportunity in a united way to express its displeasure. While I strongly support China's admission to the WTO, we should give China a dose of its own medicine. We should use these negotiations as a means of leverage to ensure that China not only listens to EU concerns about its continued abuse of human rights but that it also takes action to improve its record."@en1
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