McCaul Calls on European Allies to Join U.S. in Standing Up for Democracy

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will hold a virtual summit to discuss ongoing relations between the European Union and China. Below is a statement from House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul.

“Tomorrow’s meeting between representatives from the European Council and Commission and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) provides our European allies an opportunity to ask why the CCP withheld vital information from the world about the coronavirus. The world deserves answers.

“The meeting also provides our European allies an opportunity to stand up for democracy and for the rights of the Chinese people – particularly Hong Kongers and Uyghurs. It is time for our European friends to fully evaluate how closely they want to be tied to a regime that brutally oppresses its own people while at the same time striving to undermine democratic values.”

Last week, the European Parliament recommended that the European Union and member states consider bringing China in front of the International Court of Justice if they moved forward with implementing the new national security laws meant to limit Hong Kong’s democratic rights. The European Parliament also urged that Hong Kong and other human rights issues, such as the situation of the Uyghurs, be addressed at Monday’s EU-China Summit.

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