Call for parliamentary inquiry into ‘Beijing’s long arm’ | Inland

Previously, the House of Representatives examined, among other things, financing for mosques from abroad, such as Turkey or Qatar. But according to the MPs, China is often missing when foreign influence is being investigated. “And that is a country with a lot more scope than Turkey or the Gulf states.” They fear that China will emerge stronger from the corona crisis, especially now that the crisis in the United States has “exposed major weaknesses and divisions in the country.”

Paternotte and Sjoerdsma are concerned about economic espionage, cyber attacks and the intimidation of Uyghurs in the Netherlands. In its own country, the Chinese communist government is systematically suppressing this Muslim ethnic minority, including by locking them up in camps. China denies that.

Guide countries

The D66’ers point to countries such as Sweden and Australia, which restricted Chinese interference in their country. There, educational institutions ended their cooperation with the Chinese government and so-called Confucius Institutes, which want to convey the Chinese language and culture and are funded from China, were closed. Paternotte and Sjoerdsma call on people to learn from these countries.

A parliamentary inquiry is carried out by the Senate or the House of Representatives, or a special committee for that purpose. It is less burdensome than a parliamentary inquiry. For example, witnesses cannot be forced to cooperate by the judge.

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