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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 editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

"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 editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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