China-EU relations: self-censorship by EU diplomats is commonplace

Two recent incidents in which the EU reportedly bowed to pressure from Beijing to censor criticism of China and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic raised alarm in European capitals. But my research suggests that these are merely rare public examples of a worrying culture of complacency and self-censorship in EU diplomacy with China, the EU’s second largest trade partner.

On April 24, the New York Times reported that the EU’s foreign service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), had delayed and altered a report on COVID-19 disinformation by governments, following pressure by Chinese diplomats. Despite denials of any self-censorship by the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, the scandal was quickly followed by another similar incident.

The EU’s Beijing delegation confirmed that it had accepted China’s request to censor details about the Chinese origins of COVID-19 in exchange for the publication of an opinion article in the state-run China Daily newspaper on May 6 celebrating 45 years of EU-China cooperation.

Rather than being rare errors of judgement, findings from my research into the practical promotion of the EU’s values in EU-China diplomacy suggest that such dynamics are commonplace.

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Πηγή: theconversation.com