China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says

China has chosen to remove sanctions on four sitting and one former member of the European Parliament, along with its human rights subcommittee, a parliamentary official informed .

An official, who requested to remain unnamed, indicated that European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is set to reveal the alteration on Wednesday. China has become increasingly interested in establishing stronger economic and political connections with Europe to mitigate the impact of tariffs on the majority of its exports to the United States.

The official stated that the sanctions China is removing were placed in 2021 as a reaction to Western actions against Chinese officials charged with the mass incarceration of Muslim Uyghurs.

In reaction to the Chinese sanctions against its members, the European Parliament suspended the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, intended to level the playing field for EU companies in China.

Asked about reports that Beijing would lift sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that “the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe is complementary and mutually beneficial”.

“The legislative bodies of China and the EU are an important part of China-EU relations, and we hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway and strengthen exchanges,” he said, adding that “members of the European Parliament are welcome to visit China more often”.