Beijing is getting ready to remove sanctions it placed on European lawmakers four years ago, the Financial Times reports — a move that could lead to the revival of an investment deal between the two sides just as punishing US tariffs hit China’s economy.“Discussions with the Chinese authorities are continuing and in their final stages,” a spokesperson for Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, told the FT. The matter was first reported by Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
“It has always been the European parliament’s intention to have the sanctions lifted and resume relations with China,” the spokesperson said.
The Foreign Ministry in Beijing didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours Thursday.In 2021, China retaliated against Western sanctions over human-rights practices in its Xinjiang region by announcing measures against individuals and entities from Europe. European lawmakers then withheld ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China.Beijing has been trying to enhance ties with nations around the world since President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariffs earlier this month, while also warning others against cutting deals with Washington that hurt China. The US levy against China this year alone stands at 145%, though exceptions have been made for items like smartphones. The US announced a 90-day reprieve on duties for goods from most other countries.Even if the the sanctions are removed, ties between China and the European Union would remain troubled by the economic and political support Beijing has provided Moscow since it launched its full invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
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