China’s Easter signal to EU?

Welcome to the CCCEU's Weekly Update! Easter is a time for renewal, and Beijing may be sending a similar message by trying to further revive Sino-EU relations in the aftermath of their summit; next week, China’s top lawmakers will mull ratifying two ILO conventions on forced labor. This edition follows developments key to China-EU ties. Wishing you a restful holiday.

China to Ratify Forced Labor Conventions  

On Monday, Xinhua reported that China’s lawmakers will consider the ratification of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 next week when the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) convenes its 34th session from April 18 to 20 in Beijing. 

The news has since attracted a great deal of attention both in China and Europe, since this step was largely seen as beneficial to the probable thawing of the “frozen” China-EU investment deal (or CAI), as well as the tense discussions on human rights issues, particularly those concerning China's Xinjiang region. 

Firstly, on CAI.  During the seven-year marathon discussions on the treaty, forced labor was a major stumbling block. Nonetheless, China agreed to ratify the International Labour Organization's (ILO) conventions on forced labor in the end. 

Still, there were concerns in Europe that China might not keep its word. A group of MEPs argued that ratification of ILO conventions by China should be a prerequisite for the European Parliament's approval. The debate went on until March 2021, when Brussels imposed sanctions, Beijing retaliated, and MEPs voted to freeze CAI, a turning point in bilateral relations that has since seen a downward spiral. 

The 23rd China-EU summit, held on 1 April 2022, timely turned their relations to a fresh page. It was a success in the sense that it allowed both leaders to sit down and talk openly and frankly. A joint statement would be nice but, realistically, not a must. 

From a half-full point of view, China and the EU decided to continue their green, digital, economic and trade talks. They as well agreed to resume their human rights dialogue. 

China’s ratification of ILO conventions on forced labour would also come before UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s scheduled trip to the country reportedly in May, including a visit to Xinjiang. 

Many in Europe agreed with the South China Morning Post that China's decision was a "major signal" to the EU in this regard, a move seen as an important step to improve ties with Europe. 

Surya Deva, professor of law at Macquarie University in Australia, was quoted as saying that China’s announcement was timed before Bachelet’s visit to signal that China took the protection of labour rights seriously. In his view, the move was also to warm China’s relations with the EU and to try reviving the CAI. 

Not a “major signal” unless Beijing also allows access to Xinjiang, Noah Barkin, a senior visiting fellow at GMF and managing editor at Rhodium Group, tweeted. But it will be important to watch reaction from the German and French governments which may see this as an opportunity to kick start a discussion on defrosting CAI, he added.  

Sweden Considers NATO Membership  

Sweden's ruling party has reportedly begun discussions on the subject of whether to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and neighboring Finland is expected to make a decision in a few weeks. The British newspaper "The Times" reported on the 11th, citing U.S. government officials, that Finland and Sweden may join NATO as soon as this summer. But Finnish and Swedish leaders are cautious about joining NATO: Finland is seriously considering the issue, and Sweden is re-examining its security policy.

According to CNN, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov warned on the 11th that NATO expansion “will not lead to more stability on the European continent.”

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson did not comment on whether Sweden would join NATO at a press conference on April 13 local time, according to Punch News. But according to Swedish media reports, Andersson and the party leadership of Social Democratic Party want Sweden to join NATO in June.

Swedish media reported that Andersson's Social Democratic Party will hold a decisive meeting on May 24 to vote on whether Sweden will join NATO. Previously, the party has opposed NATO membership.  

“Global Gateway” to Host Big Event

The 2022 edition of the European Development Days (EDD) will take place on 21 and 22 June under the theme ‘Global Gateway: building sustainable partnerships for a connected world'.  The European Development Days will feature a series of high-level panels around the five key themes of Global Gateway: digital, climate and energy, transport, health, education and research. Dedicated sessions will be organised on the geopolitical context and the need for sustainable financing streams together with specific sessions on each region. The event is expected to attract 2,500 people in Brussels with another 10,000 taking part online.  

 GIs Of European Craft and Industrial Products

On April 13, the European Commission proposed an initiative to protect the intellectual property rights of processes and industrial products by establishing an EU-wide protection for geographical indications of craft and industrial products; Establish a two-level application process to achieve simple and efficient registration of process and industrial geographical indication products; Provide incentives and other measures for producers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. 

What Do Experts Talk About? 

The World Economic Forum: “How Can We Make Sure the Meta-Universe is more Secure than the Internet?” Metaverse is arriving in unexpected and unanticipated ways, questions about security have already been raised…. 

Bruegel: “The decoupling of Russia: European vulnerabilities in the high-tech sector” : Although Russia bears the brunt of Western high-tech sanctions, the European Union will face challenges in sectors where it relies on Russian and Ukrainian commodities and technologies. 

Please note: the English version of this issue is slightly different from our Chinese one. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official position of the CCCEU.