Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Foreign Minister Haja Rabib have praised the country’s principled stance on hostilities in Gaza compared to most European countries. His trip to China later this week should demonstrate similar determination to call on the Chinese authorities to end their brutal crimes and widespread repression.
Unfortunately, there are reasons to doubt whether Mr. de Croo and Mr. Rabib intend to confront the Chinese government’s appalling human rights record.
The two officials will be accompanied by CEOs of major Belgian companies, with the aim of strengthening trade and business ties. Not only is this seemingly inconsistent with the European Union’s stated goal of “reducing risks”; supply chain Increasing our dependence on China and strengthening our trade ties with the Chinese government must not mean overlooking Beijing’s serious rights violations. These include forced labor and inhumane practices against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims as part of a crackdown that has been recognized as an atrocity crime by the European Parliament and the Belgian Federal Parliament. crimes against humanity.
De Croo and Rabib would be wrong to downplay how deeply China’s deepening human rights crisis affects all European countries that do business with China. Unchecked bilateral trade and business carries significant risks of being complicit in these crimes. The issue will become even more urgent once new EU legislation on human rights and environmental due diligence and the ban on products made with forced labor comes into force.
It would also be wrong to claim that the Chinese government is a reliable political and business partner while it continues to suppress fundamental freedoms across the country., In Tibet and Hong Kong, and even dissidents abroad, including in Europe.
Mr De Croo and Mr Rahbib should instead make it clear to the Chinese side that business as usual cannot continue when crimes against humanity are being committed, especially during Belgium’s EU Presidency.
We should publicly condemn the Chinese government’s gross human rights violations, clarify the impact on bilateral relations, and express a clear determination to seek accountability for these human rights violations. Failure to do so will only further strengthen Beijing’s sense of impunity and weaken Belgium’s position as a government loyal to human rights and international law.