EU States Summon Chinese Envoys Over Sanctions

Germany and other EU nations called in Chinese ambassadors on Tuesday to protest at sanctions imposed by Beijing targeting their citizens, as China and Europe faced off over claims of rights abuses against China's Muslim Uyghur minority.

The diplomatic spat erupted after the EU, Britain and Canada on Monday blacklisted four former and current officials in the Xinjiang region, while Washington, which had already sanctioned two of those officials in July 2020, extended them to the two others.

The tensions come as the EU seeks to formulate a strategy on China at a time when tensions between Beijing and Washington are emerging as the world's number one geopolitical issue.

The European Union and China had in December approved "in principle" a major investment pact that Brussels hopes will open up lucrative opportunities despite concerns on human rights.

China has angrily rejected the claims of a crackdown against the Uyghurs, and responded with entry bans on 10 Europeans – including five members of the European Parliament – as well as two EU bodies and two think-tanks.

Germany, a key EU proponent of strong ties with Beijing, called in China's ambassador Wu Ken for "urgent talks" at the foreign ministry.

The envoy was told "that China's sanctions against European MPs, scientists and political institutions as well as non-governmental organisations represent an inappropriate escalation that unnecessarily strains ties between the EU and China," the ministry said.

In Brussels, a Belgian government source said China's ambassador was expected to attend a meeting later on Tuesday over the sanctions against lawmaker Samuel Cogolati, who proposed a motion in parliament to describe the crackdown on the Uyghurs as a "genocide".

Lithuania's foreign ministry also summoned Beijing's envoy since one of its lawmakers was targeted by the sanctions imposed in response to "blatant" abuses.

"China was urged to address the human rights violations instead of imposing countermeasures," it said in a statement.

And in Copenhagen, China's ambassador Feng Tie was summoned to appear at the foreign ministry after Beijing sanctioned Alliance of Democracies, a non-profit founded by Denmark's former premier and ex-Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Earlier, France reacted angrily after China's ambassador failed to respond to a summons on Monday, citing scheduling problems. (AFP)