Has the EU decided to cancel favorable trade treatment for Hong Kong?

[ad_1] A declare emerged in Chinese language-language stories that the European Union determined to cancel favorable tariff insurance policies in direction of Hong Kong.

However the declare is deceptive. The stories cited an EU decision that may be a non-binding request designed to attract consideration to the most recent points in Hong Kong. As of Dec. 13, the bloc had not revoked the town’s favorable customs remedy.

The declare was shared in a report printed by the Taiwanese media outlet NewTalk Information on Dec. 5, 2024.

“The European Parliament has not too long ago handed a decision to revoke the EU’s particular tariff remedy for Hong Kong,” the report reads partly.

The report cited a publish on X uploaded by “Information Investigation” that reads: “The European Parliament has not too long ago handed a decision requesting the European Union to revoke favorable tariff remedy for Hong Kong. The US$500 billion in annual Chinese language exports to the EU which go by way of Hong Kong will now not take pleasure in ultra-low tariffs.”

On-line media claimed that the EU determined to cancel favorable tariffs beforehand loved by Hong Kong. The EU has traditionally granted Hong Kong favorable customs remedy, recognizing its standing as a separate customs territory distinct from mainland China. This association facilitated commerce by simplifying customs procedures and lowering tariffs, thereby selling financial alternate between the EU and Hong Kong.

The declare concerning the EU revoking Hong Kong’s favorable customs remedy is fake.

EU decision on Hong Kong

Key phrase searches discovered a decision concerning Hong Kong handed by the EU on Nov. 28, 2024 right here.

“Calls on the EEAS [European External Action Service] and the Member States to warn China that its actions in HK could have penalties for EU-China relations; calls on the Council … to revoke HK’s beneficial customs remedy and evaluation the standing of the HK Financial Commerce Workplace in Brussels,” the decision reads partly.

The European Parliament adopts three varieties of resolutions, together with non-legislative ones, which supply larger flexibility by permitting the parliament to handle any matter it deems related. These resolutions are non-binding. The latest decision on Hong Kong falls below this class.

Whereas such resolutions categorical the parliament’s views, they don't impose any obligation on different EU establishments to behave on their calls. As a substitute, the first objective of those resolutions is to attract the eye of different European establishments to particular points.

The EU’s decision was in response to a Hong Kong court docket jailing 45 democracy supporters for as much as 10 years.

In all, 47 Hong Kong opposition politicians and pro-democracy activists had been charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion” below the town’s 2020 Nationwide Safety Regulation for participating in a democratic main in the summertime of 2020. Two had been acquitted.

Amid rising requires additional sanctions on Hong Kong and the growth of lifeboat visa schemes for these fleeing the continuing political crackdown within the metropolis, the governments of the U.S., U.Okay. and Australia, and the United Nations slammed the sentencing.

The EU decision on Hong Kong, handed with 473 votes in favor, 23 in opposition to and 98 abstentions, calls on the town to right away launch the jailed activists in addition to pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang.

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