Press Release – For immediate Release
15 June 2023
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
+49 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

We are deeply concerned about the dramatic situation of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Mongolians and Chinese human rights defenders. The German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations must strongly address the ongoing aggressive policies of the Chinese Communist Party. The German government must adapt its actions to the situation in the areas controlled by Beijing.

Specifically, we expect the government consultations to:

• The German government must publicly demand that the Chinese government put an end to its human rights crimes. Chancellor Scholz must make it clear: China’s genocide in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), cultural erasure in Tibet and oppression in Hong Kong must stop!
• The German government must demand an end to the daily military threatening gestures towards Taiwan. The Taiwanese must be allowed to live in peace.
• The German government must demand that the Chinese government immediately release all those imprisoned for political, ethnic and religious reasons. Those who fight for freedom or practise their culture and religion should not sit in Chinese prisons.
• The German government must demand free access for media, UN experts, diplomats and NGOs throughout China. Foreigners must also be allowed to move freely in Tibet or East Turkistan – just as Chinese diplomats and media are allowed to do in Germany.
• The German government must make it clear that it will not tolerate Chinese influence and propaganda in Germany. The Chinese, Tibetan, Hong Kong and Uyghur diasporas in Germany must be better protected from intimidation attempts by the Chinese state.

In addition, Germany must take active action. We demand that the German government:

• The German government must convene an “alternative human rights dialogue”. Chancellor Scholz should not only talk to the Chinese government – but also to human rights defenders, representatives of non-governmental organisations and victims of human rights crimes in China.
• Germany must hold Chinese officials accountable for committing human rights crimes. At the EU level, Chancellor Scholz should push for more comprehensive sanctions against these individuals. In addition, the German government must better fund the Attorney General and organisations that collect evidence.
• The federal government must reduce economic dependencies on China and more strictly control the entire supply chain of companies. Germany should end investment guarantees for companies in China. Investments by Chinese companies in Germany must be handled more restrictively as a matter of principle. Chancellor Scholz must lobby at the EU level for a stricter supply chain law that prohibits the import of products from forced labour.

The German government must prove that it is serious about a value-oriented China policy: We expect Chancellor Scholz to pursue a policy before, during and after the intergovernmental consultations that takes human rights seriously and also heralds a “turning point” in relations with the Chinese Communist Party.

Federation for a Democratic China
Freiheit für Hongkong e.V.
Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker
Hongkonger in Deutschland e.V.
Ilham Tohti Initiative
International Campaign for Tibet
Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte Sino Euro Voices e.V
Tibet Initiative Deutschland
Uigurische Gemeinde in Europa
Weltkongress der Uiguren