EU declines to shame Beijing over slave labour

EU leaders baulk at Joe Biden’s efforts to name and shame Beijing over forced labour in Xinjiang, highlighting divisions over China.

Activists protested outside the White House at the start of this month to highlight the plight of the Uighur people in Xinjiang. Picture: AFP

EU leaders blocked efforts to name and shame Beijing for using slave labour in Xinjiang, highlighting divisions over China among leading democracies.

The G7 summit had been hailed as a coming together of like-minded allies to address what Washington has called the greatest geopolitical challenge to the West, with guests from India, Australia, South Korea and South Africa invited in a show of solidarity.

Amid agreement on subjects from climate action to coronavirus recovery, however, China emerged as the most divisive issue, with European leaders baulking at President Biden’s efforts to embarrass Beijing over forced labour.

A facility believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, in Artux, north of Kashgar in China's western Xinjiang region. Picture: AFP

China was not mentioned in the summary of the final G7 communique despite the challenge from Beijing having emerged as the dominant theme in leaders’ discussions, according to Mario Draghi, Italy’s prime minister. He, along with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel of the EU, had argued for a greater focus on the “co-operative” elements of the relationship with China rather than adversarial ones. A reference to Xinjiang in the 25-page communique on forced labour was omitted after the US had sent out a briefing note including it.

Pictured from left; President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, France's President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Council Charles Michel, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, in Carbis bay, Cornwall. Macron

The final document read: “We are concerned by the use of all forms of forced labour in global supply chains, including state-sponsored forced labour of vulnerable groups and minorities including in the agricultural, solar and garment sectors”, omitting the add-on: “the main supply chains of concern in Xinjiang”.

A screengrab of a video showing blindfolded and shackled Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang Province. Picture: YouTube

A US administration official said that the foreign policy session, which was wholly devoted to China, had emerged as “one of the more complicated and thorny ones”. During the 90-minute session Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, and Boris Johnson had lined up behind President Biden in “wanting to really show our positions and values through a little bit more action-oriented efforts and co-ordination”. President Macron also voiced his support, as did Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s prime minister.

The official said that there was “a little bit of differentiation of opinion, not on whether the threat is there but on how strong, from an action perspective, different G7 members are willing to take this”. Trudeau, leading the session, urged allies to “speak with one voice” on China; Johnson proposed a task force on co-ordinating action.

Pictured from left; Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden all wanted “more action-oriented efforts and co-ordination” on China. Picture: AFP

The G7 summit had been expected to give birth to a new forum, the D10, including Australia and South Korea, as an alliance of democracies intended to offer an alternative to the Chinese model. The idea was previously floated by Biden and Johnson but was mentioned less and less before the meeting as the scale of division among the existing group became clearer.

The G7 did agree collectively to “call out” China “to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and those rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong” enshrined in the handover agreement with Britain.

The statement also expressed concern about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The G7 endorsed Biden’s Build Back Better World plan, which the president called “a democratic alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative” through which China finances infrastructure in the developing world.

Biden said he was satisfied with the language adopted on China. “There’s plenty of action on China,” he said. “I’m sure my colleagues think there’s things they think they can improve that they wanted. But I’m satisfied. [The] last time the G7 met, there was no mention of China but this time there is mention of China. We’re in a contest, not with China per se, but a contest with autocratic governments around the world, as to whether or not democracies can compete with them in the rapidly changing 21st century.”

The Times