China's labour rights issues a threat to its trade deal with EU

Beijing, February 15 : Though Beijing has touted its investment pact with the European Union (EU) as a strategic breakthrough, concerns have arisen about the deal, which may not get the final approval of some European lawmakers owing to the labour rights issues in China.

In the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) that was announced on December 30 last year, China had agreed to open some of its restricted markets to European businesses and had agreed to ratify two international conventions on forced labour. However, critics say the deal lacks enforcement measures to ensure Beijing makes meaningful improvements for workers, wrote Mimi Lau for the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The deal is expected to face intense resistance from some European lawmakers, while international unionists, who say the pact will do nothing to stop human rights abuses or protect labour rights in China, have vowed to ramp up pressure over the deal.

Over the past few years, China has faced mounting criticism, including from the EU and the United States over the alleged use of Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups in forced labour camps, mainly in the Xinjiang region.