China protests report with "prejudices"

China announced this Friday that it has presented a formal protest to the European Union (EU) due to a report approved by the European Parliament which, according to Beijing, is "full of ideological prejudices and wrong arguments" about the country. In a statement, a spokesperson for the China Mission to the EU denounced that the document constitutes a "flagrant interference" in China's internal affairs, as it includes criticisms related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Xinjiang, Tibet, and human rights. The report also "promotes the excessive politicization and securitization" of economic and trade issues, the spokesperson lamented, who expressed Beijing's "deep dissatisfaction" and "firm opposition". The relations between China and Europe are currently undergoing an "important period of development", and therefore preserving a "healthy and stable" evolution corresponds to the "common interests" of both parties, stated the Chinese official. "China urges the European side to continue to view China as a partner, to maintain cooperation as the main orientation of the relationship, to truly respect China's fundamental interests and main concerns, to stop interfering in its internal affairs and encouraging division and confrontation, and to protect, through concrete actions, the entire set of relations between China and Europe," he declared. The statements arise two days after the European Parliament approved, with 454 votes in favor, 86 against, and 110 abstentions, a report that advocates for the rebalancing of economic relations between the EU and China and the development of a "comprehensive strategic partnership". In the resolution, which is not binding, the MEPs recognize that dialogue with China is essential to face global challenges such as climate change, the strengthening of multilateralism, peace and security, the promotion of human rights, international development, digitalization, and public health. However, they consider that relations with Beijing have reached a "critical point" due to its "unfair economic practices", including dumping (selling below the cost of production) and espionage, as well as China's position regarding Russia's war against Ukraine. The MEPs called for the urgent adoption of measures to combat China's instrumentalization of critical resources and the strict application of the European strategy to reduce economic risks and rebalance trade relations between the two parties. The approval of the report occurred on the eve of the visit to China of the European Commissioner for Trade, Maros Sefcovic, who continues negotiations with Chinese officials on economic and trade issues this Friday.