MKsport European Union flags in front of EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Xinhua" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-08/fc56ecd3-696d-4776-a801-09d7610f8a6c.jpeg" />

The European Union flags in front of EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Xinhua

The European Parliament has lifted restrictions on EU lawmakers meeting some Chinese officials, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Friday. The reported move, if confirmed, could signal a shift by the EU toward a more pragmatic approach toward China, though it does not represent a "major" gesture, a Chinese expert said.

The SCMP report quoted a European Parliament spokesperson, who confirmed the change, as saying that the "non-binding guidelines regarding contacts with some third-country representatives were issued at a very specific time and context."

As of press time, no official statement has yet been released on the European Parliament's website, and Chinese officials have yet to publicly respond to or confirm the development.

The EU's restrictive measures against Chinese officials were introduced in April 2023, following a diplomatic row over the EU's allegations of so-called human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region. The restriction came after the EU imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials over alleged "human rights" issues in Xinjiang in March 2021, prompting retaliatory measures from China, according to Politico.

Under the restrictions, Chinese deputies to the National People's Congress were barred from being invited to the European Parliament, along with curbs on official missions. Additionally, the EU instructed that bilateral contacts with officials should be "limited to office holders," according to the SCMP report.

The SCMP reported that in February, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola proposed withdrawing these measures, a step that appears to have now materialized.

Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that if reported move is true, this development reflects a slight softening in the stance of some hawkish European figures toward China. However, he cautioned that "this subtle adjustment does not constitute a major gesture signaling a broader improvement in China-EU relations."

Over the past few years, China-EU relations have faced numerous challenges, characterized by declining political trust and trade tensions. Zhao noted that the European Parliament, often viewed as "a bastion of anti-China sentiment," has consistently passed resolutions against China in recent years.

Zhao noted that the reported change come amid a shift in the US from the "values-driven diplomacy" of the previous US administration to protectionism under the current US administration. This could mean that Europe's fixation on ideology-based diplomacy might ease. "Many issues tied to European security and development cannot be addressed through values-based diplomacy alone," Zhao added.

In a sign of security concerns in Europe, EU leaders on Thursday gathered in Brussels and committed to increase the continent's defenses after the US administration repeated warnings that he would "cut them adrift" to face Russia alone, AP reported. 

David Roche, a strategist at Quantum Strategy, told CNBC in a recent interview that "a lot of Europe's clamping down on China was at the request of the US. That, in a sense, is part of the price of being subjugated… and dependent on the US for defense." He also noted that Europeans may have to face US tariffs.