EU expected to work with China in same direction on human rights cause: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China hopes the European Union (EU) will work with China in the same direction, uphold dialogue and cooperation instead of confrontation and pressuring, and jointly contribute to the international human rights cause, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday.

Lin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to share details about the China-EU Human Rights Dialogue held a few days ago in China.

Lin said that China and the EU held the new round of Human Rights Dialogue in China from June 13 to 17. Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Miao Deyu met in Beijing with head of the EU delegation, Paola Pampaloni, deputy managing director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.

Director general of the department of international organizations and conferences of the foreign ministry Shen Bo and Pampaloni co-chaired the China-EU Human Rights Dialogue in Chongqing. Representatives from China's legislative, judicial, ethnic and women departments attended the dialogue, Lin added.

The Chinese side protested against the China-related contents in the 2023 Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World and the annual reports on Hong Kong and Macao recently released by the EU, stressing that affairs related to Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong as well as individual judicial cases are purely China's internal affairs that brook no external interference, and asked the EU to earnestly respect facts and the human rights development path independently chosen by the Chinese people and stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

In response to the EU's groundless accusations against China's judicial procedure, death penalty, labor rights and issues related to ethnic groups and religions, China laid out the facts that prove otherwise and firmly refuted these allegations, Lin said.

The Chinese side pointed to the human rights issues that exist in EU countries, including racial discrimination, infringement on the rights of refugees and immigrants, restriction on freedom of speech, religious hatred, judicial unfairness and violence against women, and asked the EU side to earnestly resolve these issues, said Lin.

"Both sides believed that the dialogue was candid, profound and conducive to better mutual understanding, and both sides expressed readiness to explore cooperation in multilateral human rights areas concerning economic, social and cultural rights, women, children and people with disability," Lin said.

Lin also noted that the EU delegation visited the Xizang Autonomous Region on the margins of the dialogue, where they visited local programs related to socioeconomic development, ethnic community, religion, education, culture, human rights and the rule of law. The delegation said they gained understanding of the reality in the region, especially how relevant policies work and what they have achieved.

The delegation also had discussions and exchanged views with Chinese human rights experts in Beijing, Lin added.

Lin stressed that China stands ready to conduct exchange and cooperation on human rights with the EU on the basis of equality and mutual respect to enhance mutual understanding and trust, broaden consensus, resolve differences and make progress together.

"That said, China firmly opposes politicizing human rights issues and double standards, opposes imposing one's own development models on others, opposes interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights issues, and opposes megaphone diplomacy on multilateral platforms. We hope the EU will work with us in the same direction, uphold dialogue and cooperation instead of confrontation and pressuring, and jointly contribute to the international human rights cause," Lin said.