EU, China hold human rights dialogue

May 27, 2006

Senior officials of the European Union and China met in Vienna on Thursday and Friday for the 21st round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue.

The two sides discussed in an "open and constructive" way a wide range of key human rights issues focusing on the internal human rights situation in China as well as cooperation on human rights in the international arena, said a statement issued by the current Austrian EU Presidency.

The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue has been taking place on a bi-annual basis since 1995 and forms an essential part of overall EU-China relations.

The EU has "established a number of key areas of concern on which it wishes to see concrete progress on the ground in China," noted the statement.

The Vienna meeting "focused in particular on the issue of freedom of expression following worrying trends in China towards more restrictions in the media and on the internet, arrests and intimidation of journalists and individuals as well as closure of newspapers," it said.

It also covered EU concerns relating to administrative detention and, in particular, the system of re-education through labor in China.

As a positive step towards prevention of torture, the Chinese side informed the EU on measures it has implemented to establish a system of taping of police interrogations.

On the death penalty, the Chinese side provided information on the status of the review by the Supreme People's Court of all death penalty cases. In this connection, the EU addressed the issue of organ transplantation, in particular from executed prisoners.

The EU expressed concern over the issue of freedom of religion and rights of minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang.

There was also an extensive discussion about the situation of NGOs in China.

Questions surrounding the recent establishment of the UN Human Rights Council were prominently reflected on the agenda.

In reply to Chinese questions, the EU provided the Chinese side with answers to particular human rights issues in the EU.

The next round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of 2006.

Copyright © 2006 Islamic Republic News Agency.

This article posted June 10, 2006.