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"The EU's effort towards China is diluted with multiple competing dialogues run by individual member states" (Photo: EUobserver)

Europe needs a new approach to human rights in China

Tiananmen Square marked a turning point not only in China's political evolution, but in its relations with the rest of the world. The violent suppression of student demonstrators put a sudden stop to the peaceful opening up and engagement with the West which Deng Xiaoping had pioneered throughout the 80's.

Europe and the US immediately slapped arms embargos on China that last to this day. Both also upped their public condemnation of China's human rights record and began to insist that ...

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

"The EU's effort towards China is diluted with multiple competing dialogues run by individual member states" (Photo: EUobserver)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

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