China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development was signed on 4 February 2022, just before the start of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine; whereas the manner in which China engages with Russia will also shape the future of EU-China relations; J. whereas in its resolution of 23 February 2023, the UN General Assembly called for the ending of the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine in line with the UN Charter; whereas China abstained on the vote on this resolution; whereas China voted in favour of a United Nations resolution that explicitly acknowledges ‘the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine’ on 26 April 2023; K. whereas the EU opposes any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by force, and must work with its partners in strengthening deterrence capacities against any such attempts by the PRC; whereas the EU is concerned at greyzone activities, such as provocative military behaviour, economic coercion and cyberattacks, and opposes ongoing grave human rights violations within China, in particular in Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong and Macao, and must stand in solidarity with those facing human rights abuses; L. whereas the EU and the PRC signed a bilateral agreement in 2018, known as the Blue Partnership, which aims to improve cooperation on global ocean governance; M. whereas the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China revised its Maritime Traffic Laws (Maritime Traffic Laws Revision 2021), which have been enforced since 1 September 2021; whereas China’s expansionist policies and behaviour constituting harassment in the South China Sea demonstrate a flagrant disregard for UNCLOS and the freedom of navigation; whereas Chinese unilateral efforts to control contested areas of the South China and East China Seas are not acceptable; whereas the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources published its so-called standard map; whereas China’s renaming of Russian locations on its ‘standard map’ is noted; N. whereas in recent decades, China has grown its presence in almost every African country, which China uses to increase its international influence and secure its economic interests, particularly access to Africa’s vast natural resources and huge market; whereas Chinese investments and loans in Africa and beyond are not subject to good governance or respect for human rights; O. whereas the Chinese Government is implementing increasingly oppressive domestic policies, repressing any form of dissent, cracking down on all civil and political freedoms and targeting ethnic and religious minorities, such as Tibetans and the Uyghur population, particularly harshly; P. whereas the UN Committee Against Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment have expressed concern over the allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners, and have called on the Government of the PRC to increase the accountability and transparency of the organ transplant system and punish those responsible for abuses;