B4-0772, 0778, 0792 and 0816/96

Resolution on the serious situation of Wei Jingsheng and the human rights violations in China

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission 'A long-term policy for China-Europe relations' (COM(95)0279),

- recalling its previous resolutions on the situation in China,

A. whereas hundreds of thousands of persons are imprisoned under inhumane conditions in the labour and detention camps known as laogai,

B. whereas, under the laws in force on the territory of the People's Republic of China, 68 offences are punishable with the death penalty, including tax evasion,

C. whereas the number of executions is increasing in China, as shown by the reports drawn up by a number of international organizations,

D. whereas the Chinese dissident, Wei Jingsheng, is currently in prison, and whereas his state of health is giving particular cause for concern,

E. whereas the Wei Jingsheng case raises fundamental issues concerning inalienable rights such as freedom of expression and thought,

F. whereas Wei Jingsheng's trial flouted every principle of justice,

G. whereas torture and maltreatment remain widespread and systematic in China in places like police stations, detention centres, labour camps and prisons,

H. whereas the General Affairs Council on 4 December 1995 stated that the basic goals of the EU in relations with China are, inter alia 'the promotion of democracy, structures based on the rule of law and the respect for human rights',

1. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the constant violations of human rights perpetrated on the territory of the People's Republic of China;

2. Calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience and the immediate closure of the laogai;

3. Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to release Wei Jingsheng immediately and to ensure that he receives suitable medical care;

4. Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to order an immediate, independent judicial review of the Wei Jingsheng case open to international observers;

5. Calls on the Chinese government to give international humanitarian organizations access to detainees in Chinese prisons;

6. Calls on the Commission to submit to the European Parliament in the near future a report on current Union policy towards China, paying particular attention to the issue of respect for human and fundamental rights;

7. Is of the opinion that the European Union has to be prepared to make wider use of pressures, including sanctions, in trade and business relations with China;

8. Asks the Commission whether the human rights violations in China will have any effect on China's request to become a member of the World Trade Organization;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, and the Government of the People's Republic of China.