Human Rights Dialogue between the European Union and China

The 35th round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue was held in Brussels on 22-23 June. The two-day programme included the meeting of the Dialogue on the first day, and round-table discussions between European and Chinese participants, including Members of the European Parliament, representatives from civil society and academia, as well as a field visit to the refugee centre Bruxelles-Petit-Château on the second day.

The Human Rights Dialogue provided an opportunity for the European Union to raise the cases of human rights defenders whose detention and conviction by the Chinese authorities is incompatible with the nature of their work to promote human rights.

The cases raised by the European Union included:
Political prisoners Liu Xiaobo and Ilham Tohti;
Human rights lawyers Jiang Tianyong, Wang Quanzhang and Xie Yang;
Individuals imprisoned in connection with their exercise of the universally-recognised right to freedom of expression, including Lu Yuyu, Zhang Haitao, Lû Gengsong, and Huang Zerong;
Individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs, including Hu Shigen, Huang Yizi, Shao Zhumin, Li Guozhi, Gu Yuese and Zhang Shaojie.
Individuals detained or sentenced in connection with their activities in promoting freedom of association, including Tashi Dorje, Meng Han, Xu Zhiyong and Guo Feixiong
Tibetan activists, writers and religious figures who face criminal charges or have been imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including Tashi Wangchuk, Druklo and Lobsang Kunchok.

• Primary Source

EU: EEAS: Press Release. 30.06.17: Statement by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on the status of Liu Xiaobo https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/29112/

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