European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Uyghurs Clearing Path For China Sanctions

By Joshua Lipes
December 18, 2020

The European Parliament has voted in favor of a resolution that could allow the EU to target Chinese officials repressing Uyghurs in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) under newly adopted laws that allow international sanctions for human rights abuses.

The passing of the “Resolution on Forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” on Thursday came a day ahead of reports that the EU and China plan to reach an agreement on an investment deal by the end of the year.

The European Parliament adopted the resolution with a vote of 604 in favor, 20 against, and 57 abstentions—an overwhelming show of support for the legislation that could allow Brussels to take stronger action against Chinese officials for rights abuses against Uyghurs and ban imports tainted by forced labor in the XUAR.

Read the full article at Radio Free Asia.