unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Hilde Vautmans
Country: Romania
Language: EN

In our report, we recognise that the rise of China will have an enormous impact on our way of life and Europe’s role in the world. We also warn that Europe is not prepared for this change because, until now, we have defined our relationship with China in terms of trade.  Don’t get me wrong, China is indeed a very interesting trading partner, and it’s great for European business that many Chinese are now able to afford German cars, French wines and Italian fashion. But economic gains should not make us blind to the challenges that the Chinese Communist Party is posing to the liberal world order.  The EU must be determined to defend our key values, and this requires a new and more assertive strategy.  First, we must realise that China is too big to ignore. We cannot deal with climate change, terrorism and global security without working together with China. If you want to save our planet, China must be our partner in this field. That is why I fully disagree with those who plead for a complete decoupling between the West and China. But let’s not be naive. China’s cherry-picking of the rules of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization must end. And China has to show that it means business on climate change; otherwise, the EU must introduce a border tax to offset the higher carbon emissions of Chinese products. Second, the EU must step up its defence of human rights and the rule of law. The Communist regime tries to wipe out Uyghur heritage from Chinese soil. Hong Kong has been subject to one of the most brutal crackdowns we have seen in recent history.  This repression is not limited to China. Chinese ‘Belt and Road’ money is pouring into Africa, the Western Balkans and Latin America. It is financing regimes and companies that trample on human rights. Reports of labour exploitation, land-grabbing, pollution and health issues are frequent. I call on our leaders to finally come up with a credible European alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative. We must support sustainable investments which do not exploit workers, which respect the environment and enhance good governance.  And let us increase the pressure on China to stop its crackdown on Hong Kong. And, as I have already said a lot of times, and I will repeat it again, we need to stop importing cotton from the Xinjiang area because products from slave labour have no place in the European Union. Third, the EU will clearly never be a match for China or the other world powers unless we get our act together. The disaster in Afghanistan has shown that we need a European army, a real foreign policy without national vetoes. It is also very clear to me that we need a European FBI and CIA to counter foreign threats. China’s rise has only just begun. Some say Europe’s decline started a long time ago. Let’s prove them wrong and step up our ambitions. Let’s show that the time for naivety is over. Let’s make Europe fit for the future with a new strategy to deal with the rising dragon, combined with a strategy to make a fist on the world stage.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Jutta Urpilainen
Language: EN

This increased leverage and credibility allowed us to conclude the negotiations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment in December, but also to agree on human rights sanctions over Chinese individuals under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions regime. Since then, the situation has changed. The Chinese decision to impose counter measures, including on Members of this Parliament simply for having expressed their opinions, has led to a worsening of relations. China will remain an increasingly assertive global power that does not shy away from applying economic pressure on countries and actors whose policies it disagrees with. Our values gap is growing, so is the need for EU solidarity and for signalling that certain actions are unacceptable. This plenary debate and the report on a new EU-China strategy testify to this.  I believe that our overall approach towards EU China relations, our multifaceted approach that treats China as a partner, competitor and rival, remains valid. We need to engage with China as a key economic partner and political player without whom we cannot address global challenges effectively. At the same time, the EU must continue to speak its mind, stand its ground and push back in areas where fundamental disagreement with China exists, first and foremost on human rights. Our current framework to handle relations with China fits closely with the recommendations of this report. Our overall approach encompasses key foreign policy aims that are not actor-specific, such as strategic autonomy. We aim at international cooperation which preserves our values and a rule-based multilateral system. We foster partnerships with the like-minded, as you will see in the Indo-Pacific Strategy. All of this, taken together, reflects the recommendations put forward in the report.  I thank Ms Vautmans and the shadow rapporteurs for the recommendations and the general support for our policies in this report. Our unity remains our strength. I am looking forward to continuing our exchange.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Radosław Sikorski
Political group: PPE
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

China has committed grave errors and crimes such as the Cultural Revolution. Abandoning the Deng doctrine of hiding your strength and playing for time is also, I believe, a mistake. There’s also a looming debt crisis. Europe and the United States should act together, even though our interests are not identical. The challenge for us is how to trade with China while remaining a good ally of the United States. I therefore welcome the creation of the Trade and Technology Council. We should collaborate on everything with the United States except the military field, while, of course, maintaining the arms embargo.  I commend this report, which tries to put forward the following doctrine: collaborate with China where possible, compete where needed and confront where necessary. Madam President, just before coming into this Chamber, I learned that the British House of Commons and House of Lords have jointly decided to exclude the new Ambassador of China from the premises as long as some Members of the UK Parliament remain subject to Chinese sanctions. I see colleagues here in this Chamber who have also been sanctioned. In solidarity with them, I propose that we adopt a similar principle.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Pedro Marques
Political group: S-D
Country: Czechia
Language: PT

Essas ações da China têm, por isso, de ter consequências. Ainda há dois dias houve eleições em Macau. Se, na maioria dos países, a realização de eleições é a expressão maior da democracia, fique bem claro que as eleições em Macau não o foram. Violando abertamente o acordo com Portugal na altura da entrega de Macau, as autoridades chinesas excluíram das eleições todos os candidatos que representavam abertura política e independência relativamente ao governo de Pequim.  É inaceitável! A entrega do território foi feita com a garantia de que a democracia seria respeitada naquela região. Se a China não respeita acordos como este, assinado ao mais alto nível com um Estado-Membro da União Europeia e depositado nas Nações Unidas, como podemos acreditar que respeitará outros? Queremos cooperar e negociar com a China, mas não o podemos fazer sem muito exigentes as condições.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Nathalie Loiseau
Political group: Renew
Country: Poland
Language: FR

Dans ce domaine comme dans d’autres, notre naïveté laisse sans voix. Nous n’avons pas prêté assez attention aux secteurs stratégiques, souvent dans la zone grise entre le civil et le militaire, dans lesquels la coopération scientifique avec la Chine foisonne. Nous avons laissé les instituts Confucius se multiplier et dicter, là où ils s’implantent, les sujets de recherche autorisés et ceux qui sont interdits lorsqu’il s’agit de la Chine. Nous ignorons qui sont les chercheurs européens que Pékin a convaincus de travailler pour la recherche chinoise et les conditions dans lesquelles ils mettent leurs savoirs au service d’un pays et souvent d’une armée, l’Armée populaire de libération, dont les ambitions devraient nous inquiéter. En résumé, nous avons accepté sans réagir une dépendance croissante de nos universités aux coopérations avec la Chine, au risque d’un pillage de nos savoirs et d’une censure chinoise dans notre recherche. Il est temps d’imposer la transparence là où règne l’opacité, de ne plus laisser nos universités faire n’importe quoi en ordre dispersé et de construire une véritable stratégie de souveraineté scientifique de l’Europe.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Reinhard Bütikofer
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Italy
Language: EN

But we have to acknowledge – and it’s long past time – that we believed that this was just about trade. This is much more about geopolitics and on many fronts increasingly we see that the systemic rivalry is coming to the fore. I would hope we would have more opportunities for cooperation on climate policy, for instance.  But what is it that China tells us? They say we’re not willing to be a partner on climate unless you stop criticising our atrocious human rights record with regard to Xinjiang. This is not what we are willing to accept. We are proposing positive European policies to create alternatives, like an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative. We want to stop the import of slave labour products.  We will continue telling Ms Merkel and all the others that CAI will remain in the freezer until China changes course. We will uphold the solidarity with Lithuania and we are encouraging our leaders not to go to Beijing, not to accept invitations to the Olympics, if the Chinese human rights situation does not change. For this policy, on which we have been united for quite a while in this House and which is a policy of pride and confidence, we would hope we get support also from the European Commission and the Member States.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Anna Bonfrisco
Political group: ID
Country: Belgium
Language: IT

Usare le tecnologie emergenti per espandere la coercizione e consolidare l'intrusione, svuotando la privacy individuale non è etico e nemmeno umanocentrico. Questi aspetti rendono la Cina una calamità e questo lo ricordiamo specialmente alla Russia. Pertanto invitiamo gli Stati membri e il Servizio esterno a investire in una più stretta cooperazione con partner democratici con i quali condividiamo i valori, i valori dell'umanità.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Hermann Tertsch
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: ES

Estamos al final de un inmenso malentendido que empezó hace cuarenta años, cuando pensamos todos que el acercamiento al capitalismo iba a hacer de China un país lentamente cada vez más tolerante, cada vez más plural y cada vez más abierto. Ha sido lo contrario.  En este momento, llevamos diez años con un líder que se ha convertido realmente en un dictador como solo Mao lo fue, y con un endurecimiento de la situación dentro de China. Las actitudes de China fuera de allí son cada vez más agresivas y más amenazadoras. La represión interna es inmensa y la actitud frente al resto del mundo es absolutamente arrolladora y existe un matonismo que nos amenaza y nos intenta amedrentar a todos.  Por eso, tenemos que tener un concepto muy, muy claro de lo que es China en este momento. Tenemos que tener un concepto muy claro de que tenemos que tener una política global y general hacia ella. Y tenemos que tener todo lo contrario de lo que se ha querido con esas tentaciones de nuevos acuerdos de inversiones.  Tenemos que tener una política de resistencia frente a una agresión inmensa que se nos echa encima.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Idoia Villanueva Ruiz
Political group: The Left
Country: Czechia
Language: ES

La nueva estrategia de la Unión Europea con China debe abrir una ventana de oportunidad para, de una forma transparente, estabilizar y modernizar una relación basada en el diálogo y la cooperación para poder encontrar soluciones a problemas que suponen un gran reto global.  El cambio climático y sus consecuencias, el retroceso mundial de los derechos humanos y de las libertades fundamentales, la falta de recursos naturales, la insuficiencia alimentaria en tantos lugares del mundo, entre otras muchas urgencias, nos obligan a dedicar todos nuestros esfuerzos al desarrollo de una política de cooperación basada siempre en principios y derechos fundamentales claros con todos los actores necesarios para lograr de verdad un cambio real.  Que esta relación que tantos beneficios está generando para unos pocos dentro de la Unión Europea se ponga al servicio de la justicia medioambiental, económica y social en el ámbito internacional. Utilicémosla para avanzar en derechos humanos y justicia global.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Christophe Hansen
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, the EU needs to steer, once and for all, an independent course with regard to China and the newly—emerged multipolar world. Therefore, we need a unilateral autonomy to be able to enforce our rules for all players on our single market, European or not – for example, by means of an instrument to fight distortive foreign subsidies – especially since the CAI, as Reinhard Bütikofer said, is in the freezer for the moment.  The real litmus test of our strategic autonomy for me would be a deepened economic relation with Taiwan, not as a provocation, but as an affirmation of our agency. We also need bilateral engagement through dialogue before all, but this also means standing up for what’s right. An import ban on goods produced with forced labour is long overdue. What is happening in Xinjiang cannot be explained away as a difference of understanding between East and West, as some people are doing here in this House.  Multilateral pressure is, of course, important and this means to uphold a good constructive dialogue with the US and Japan to go ahead and uphold our democratic values. What all these initiatives have in common is the need for coordination. Therefore, we need a China task force that brings together all the Member States so that we sing from the same hymn sheet. This is long overdue, Commissioner.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Sven Mikser
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: EN

Madam President, the minute only allows me to make three brief points.  First, I believe it’s a very solid report and it reflects very strong unity among the major political groups in the Parliament when it comes to our approach to China. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur Hilde Vautmans on that.  Secondly, China is no doubt a rising global power, and the higher it rises, the more our relationship with China moves into the realm of strategic rivalry. It’s a relationship that is multifaceted and complex. We are looking for a comprehensive approach to China that would cover a variety of different policy areas, and this quest, if it has underscored anything, I think it is the need for greater unity among European Union Member states, but also the need for a greater EU strategic autonomy across a variety of policy areas, from security to trade to industrial and technological development.  And finally, the human rights dialogue has been and will be a part of that complex relationship, and we cannot accept any attempts by China to intimidate us by imposing arbitrary sanctions on Members of this Parliament, and our actions must be guided by solidarity with the colleagues who have been targeted by such sanctions.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Marie-Pierre Vedrenne
Political group: Renew
Country: Denmark
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, si le dialogue avec Pékin peut être nécessaire pour lutter contre le changement climatique, sur les autres champs, nous devons faire preuve de fermeté. La Chine doit notamment s’engager à respecter pleinement les règles fixées par l’OMC et œuvrer à sa réforme. Sur l’accord sur les investissements, notre message demeure clair: il est inenvisageable que nous procédions à quelque vote ou étude tant que la Chine maintient ses sanctions contre nos institutions. Et quand bien même cet accord est gelé, la Chine doit honorer ses engagements de ratifier et de mettre en œuvre les conventions de l’OIT sur le travail forcé. Nous ne cautionnerons pas les pratiques inhumaines envers la minorité ouïghoure ou envers les Hongkongais. Madame la Commissaire, il est grand temps que l’Europe se dote d’instruments adéquats, notamment un mécanisme pour interdire l’importation de produits issus du travail forcé ou l’instrument visant à contrer les mesures coercitives. Il est grand temps d’assurer le respect de nos valeurs, la promotion de nos ambitions et la cohérence dans notre action.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Maximilian Krah
Political group: ID
Country: Greece
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, meine lieben Kollegen! Es ist ein denkwürdiger Abend: Wir haben uns erst ganz überwältigend klar gegen Russland positioniert, wir positionieren uns jetzt nicht minder klar gegen China – kurzum: gegen jeden, der es irgendwie anders meint als wir. Ich höre in diesem Haus oft etwas von Neokolonialismus, und wie gut es sei, dass wir mit der kolonialen Vergangenheit gebrochen haben. Aber wenn der Westen, wenn Europa meint, es müsse die ganze Welt belehren: Ist das kein Neokolonialismus? Der westliche Universalismus und die westliche Weltordnung sind im 21. Jahrhundert nun einmal vorbei. Die alten Entwicklungsländer werden wieder stark, und natürlich werden sie sich nicht nach dem richten, was wir wollen, sondern wir müssen in einen Dialog mit ihnen treten, der zunächst einmal davon ausgeht, dass wir gleichberechtigt sind. Das nennt man Diplomatie. Und da, wo wir uns danach richten, haben wir Erfolg. Und auch hier gilt, dass die Menschen draußen klüger sind als wir hier im Haus, mehrheitlich: Bei  Nehmen Sie sich die Wähler zum Vorbild und lassen Sie sich nicht in einen Kalten Krieg treiben!
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Anna Fotyga
Political group: ECR
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

Madam President, I congratulate Hilde Vautmans on her report. I also commend the tone and substance of today’s debate in comparison to last December’s EU—China Summit. It is real progress. We are very realistic in our response to Chinese diplomacy and policies. I stress the necessity to stay in solidarity with countries like Lithuania, Czechia and also with Taiwan – and with our colleagues here in the European Parliament – to counter Chinese coercion.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Helmut Scholz
Political group: The Left
Country: Luxembourg
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, Frau Kommissarin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Im 21. Jahrhundert wird es nicht mehr mit Machtpolitik gelingen, einem Fünftel der Weltbevölkerung unseren Willen aufzuzwingen. Unsere Generation steht vielmehr vor der historischen Aufgabe, den Frieden zu wahren, um globale Aufgaben wie den Klimawandel, die Armutsüberwindung und technologische Umbrüche zu bewältigen. Dabei auf Dialog, Kontakte und prinzipielle Debatten zu verzichten, ist keine sinnvolle Alternative. Saubere Mobilität wird gemeinsam konstruiert werden müssen. Menschenrechte, individuelle wie soziale, können und müssen wir entschieden in Kooperation und Dialog verbessern, Verständigung herstellen über Xinjiang, Hongkong, Taiwan, Probleme und Chancen der wirtschaftlichen und handelspolitischen Verflechtungen und Abhängigkeiten – auch über das umfassende Investitionsabkommen zwischen der EU und China. Das heißt, gemeinsam mit den USA, mit weiteren Akteuren und eben insbesondere mit der Volksrepublik China das globale Gefüge auf friedliche Weise neu zu organisieren.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Andrius Kubilius
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, first of all I would like to thank the rapporteur for a really good report. I will try to spend my minutes on some comments on Chinese policy towards EU Member States – this means Lithuania. The government of my country, Lithuania, in the spring decided to leave the so—called 17+1 format, which China created for relations with Central Europe in order to split the EU. Also, our government decided to upgrade relations with Taiwan and decided to open a Taiwanese, not Taipei, representation in Vilnius.  Of course, China became very angry over Lithuania, recalled the ambassador, and our business in China experienced different pressures and sanctions. I would like to thank all of you for the support and solidarity which you have shown to us.  We in Lithuania, several years ago, saw the same behaviour against Lithuania, against our business, shown by Russian authorities. We survived and we learnt a lesson. Business with an economy which is led by authoritarian regime is a risky business, very risky.  So today we need to send a clear, simple message. Business with China or in China is a very risky business. Second, China is big, we as Lithuania are small, but we shall not be defeated because we are together.
Debate: A new EU-China strategy
Date: TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Speaker: Maria Arena
Political group: S-D
Country: Belgium
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, tout d’abord, je tiens à remercier Hilde pour le travail exceptionnel, excellent qu’elle a fait dans le cadre de son rapport. Ce rapport fait effectivement la part belle à la question des droits de l’homme dans notre relation Union européenne et Chine. Quand on parle de droits humains avec la Chine, on comprend le fossé qui existe entre un modèle européen et un modèle chinois. Travail forcé, camps de rééducation, persécution des différentes minorités, entrave à la liberté d’expression et d’association et à la liberté de la presse, arrestations arbitraires des militants prodémocratie, Hong Kong, Taïwan, Macao, pour ne pas parler du Tibet... Mais ces violations massives des droits de l’homme qui sont vécues en Chine, la Chine essaye de les exporter au travers de ses partenariats avec d’autres pays, au travers du multilatéralisme, dans lesquels elle impose une vision chinoise, mais aussi parfois dans nos entreprises privées, où elle fait pression pour licencier des personnes qui auraient pris des positions en faveur de la démocratie, ou encore au sein même de ce Parlement quand elle nous met sous sanctions. Dans ce rapport, nous disons donc comment nous devons travailler avec la Chine, sans naïveté. Bien sûr, la Chine est un acteur mondial, mais nous devons avoir une autonomie stratégique vis-à-vis du modèle chinois.