BRUSSELS (Reuters) – China has decided to lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament as well as on its subcommittee on human rights, the parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, said on Wednesday.

China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe to limit the damage from tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.

Four current European Parliament members were among 10 individuals China placed under sanctions in 2021 in response to Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detentions of Muslim Uyghurs.

“Our parliamentary committees must be able to discuss European interests with their Chinese counterparts without fear of repercussions,” Metsola said in a statement.

“Our relationship with China remains complex and multi-faceted. The best way to approach it is through engagement and dialogue,” she added.

The Chinese sanctions banned the affected people and their families from travelling to China and prohibited them and associated organizations from doing business with China.

European Parliament Halted Ratification of EU-China Agreement

In response to the Chinese sanctions, the European Parliament halted the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which had aimed to put EU companies on an equal footing in China.

Asked earlier on Wednesday about reports Beijing would lift sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference that “the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe is complementary and mutually beneficial”.

“The legislative bodies of China and the EU are an important part of China-EU relations, and we hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway and strengthen exchanges,” he said, adding that “members of the European Parliament are welcome to visit China more often”.

Wednesday’s decision by China excluded Reinhard Buetikofer, a German Green ex-member of the European Parliament who was part of the group placed under sanctions by Beijing.

He congratulated his former colleagues on the lifting of the sanctions, but said it was unfortunate the Parliament’s leaders had not done more to get Beijing to lift those that remain on six people from parliaments, civil society and think tanks.

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(Reporting by Lili Bayer, Philip Blenkinsop and Andrew Gray in Brussels and Joe Cash in Beijing, editing by Bart Meijer and Barbara Lewis)