MEPs point the finger at investments made by China with no strings attached in African countries ruled by oppressive regimes, in a report on the effects of China's growing presence in Africa adopted with 618 votes in favour, 16 against and 17 abstentions. This policy helps perpetuate human rights violations, say MEPs who also highlight Beijing's role in the spread of arms and the conditions under which natural resources are being exploited.
According to Ana Gomes (PES, PT) who drafted the report: "China's growing presence in Africa, with its positive and negative impacts, is challenging EU-Africa relations. The EU must therefore develop a coordinated response to the Chinese 'go out' policy, which is aimed at procuring oil and other natural resources. We need to engage in dialogue with China and Africa. At the same time, the EU should remain committed to its own approach towards development cooperation, making aid conditional on compliance with respect for human rights".
The EU should devise a strategy to meet the new challenges raised by emerging donors in Africa, such as China, including a coordinated approach between different Member States and EU institutions. It should also enter into a dialogue with China, in order to discuss methods and aims of development policy, says the report.
Investment in Africa
Unlike the EU, which ties its investment to respect for human rights and good governance, China makes most of its investments without laying down any particular conditions. Such investment in countries suffering from bad governance by oppressive regimes helps perpetuate human rights abuses, say MEPs.
The EU should encourage Chinese export-credit agencies, including the Exim Bank, to conduct systematic environmental assessments of infrastructure projects in Africa, such as dams, roads and mines, believes the House.
The report also calls on the EU to actively promote transparency regarding revenue generated by natural resources. MEPs argue that a clause requiring the investment of "a percentage of profit in local community development" should be included in international conventions on energy resources extraction or exploration.
MEPs call on the EU and China to discuss, develop and formulate, whenever possible, their African strategies with a view to a responsible commitment, aimed at fostering sustainable development and the pursuit of the MDGs. The House stresses the importance of formulating constructive dialogues within a multilateral framework with all relevant actors in the continent, in particular the AU and NEPAD. In this context, MEPs call on the EU to encourage the creation of an African Partnership Forum engaging all major donors and investors and China.
Arms and conflicts in Africa
MEPs urge the EU to call on China "to suspend any arms trade deals with those governments that are responsible for human rights violations, are involved in conflicts or on the brink of war", such as Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In addition, says the report, China should increase the transparency of its national arms export control regime, namely by ensuring complete reporting on exports to the UN Register on Conventional Arms Exports.
The EU should maintain its arms embargo on China, adds the House, for as long as China continues to export arms to armed forces and armed groups in countries, many of them in Africa, that fuels and perpetuates conflicts and perpetrate gross violations of human rights.
Peacekeeping and non-interference
MEPs call on the EU to encourage China to continue increasing its participation in UN or African Union (AU) peacekeeping missions in Africa "by also supplying combat troops, when necessary". The EU is also urged to encourage China to assume its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, including the "responsibility to protect" civilians.
Role of parliaments
Lastly, MEPs stress that the European Parliament is willing to engage with the Chinese National People's Congress, the Pan-African Parliament and African national parliaments in a dialogue aimed at fostering sustainable development and enhancing their scrutinising capabilities.
