China to ratify forced labour conventions in ‘major signal’ to EU

Two International Labour Organization conventions were among the stumbling blocks during marathon talks for the EU-China investment treaty

But the deal is still in limbo and an EU official says it ‘has no chance while there are sanctions’ on members of the European Parliament

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Workers tie down plastic sheeting during planting of a cotton field near Urumqi in Xinjiang during a government-organised trip for foreign media. China is accused of using forced labour in the region. Photo: AP

Amber WangandFinbarr Berminghamin Brussels

Published: 11:40pm, 11 Apr 2022Updated: 3:20am, 12 Apr 2022

China is set to ratify two International Labour Organization conventions on forced labour next week during a meeting of its top legislature, a move seen as an important step to improve ties with Europe.

State news agency Xinhua said lawmakers would ratify the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The decision was made public at a meeting on Monday.

The pair of conventions were among the main stumbling blocks during marathon negotiations for the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), which took almost eight years before an agreement in principle was reached at the end of 2020.

China had agreed to pursue ratification of the two ILO conventions as a compromise over forced labour, an issue that had stalled the investment deal talks with the EU, according to the agreement released in December 2020.

But the deal has been in limbo since Brussels and Beijing exchanged sanctions last year over accusations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

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