07/10/2018

China: Liu Xia is allowed to leave the country – A long overdue humanitarian gesture

“Hostage diplomacy” is a bad sign regarding the human rights situation in China (Press Release)

Liu Xia herself is not known as a human rights advocate or a political oppositionist. Thus, the years she had to spend in house arrest could only be attributed to her marriage to Liu Xiaobo, her late husband. Picture: STP

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is relieved that Liu Xia, the widow of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, is now allowed to leave China. “It was only yesterday that we – on occasion of the German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations – gathered in front of the Federal Chancellery to Liu Xia’s release. It was a long overdue humanitarian gesture of the Chinese leadership to finally let the seriously ill widow leave the country. However, this case of hostage diplomacy is not to be seen as a sign of improvement regarding the human rights situation in China,” said Ulrich Delius, the STP’s director, in Göttingen on Tuesday. 

“Liu Xia’s release is a blatant charm offensive of the Chinese government, which is trying to find allies in Europe because of the trade war with the United States,” Delius emphasized. “The fact that Liu Xia was set free four days before the first anniversary of the death of her husband Liu Xiaobo can be seen as an example of skillful timing, but not as an act of humanity. Still, we would like to thank the federal government for its continued efforts on behalf of Liu Xia.

On Monday, during his visit to Berlin, China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang stated that the human rights situation in the People’s Republic had improved. According to the STP, however, the fate of Liu Xia clearly shows that China is still far away from a real rule of law – as, for example, guilt by association is still common. Delius criticized that Liu Xia herself is not known as a human rights advocate or a political oppositionist. Thus, the years she had to spend in house arrest could only be attributed to her marriage to Liu Xiaobo, her late husband.”

The STP pointed out that is common practice in China’s prison system to try to intimidate human rights activists living abroad by locking up their family members. This practice is to be seen as a systematical violation of both Chinese and international laws.