EU assembly wants China to stop religious persecution
8th Sep 2005, 22:42 GMT
STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament urged China on Thursday to stop persecuting Christian clergy and lay people, spotlighting Beijing's poor human rights record despite their closer economic ties. The European Union and China reached a textile trade deal to control the Asian giant's surging exports at a summit this week. Beijing said it would buy European Airbus planes while the EU said it would give Beijing technology to curb global warming. But China's key demand, an end to the 1989 EU arms export ban imposed after China's crackdown on Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrators, was rejected over human rights concerns. The Communist state restricts religious freedom.