China has confirmed that it is normalizing its relations with the European Parliament, Reuters reports.
Beijing is trying to build closer economic and political ties with Brussels amid escalating global trade disputes.
"In recent years, exchanges between Chinese and European legislators have encountered some difficulties due to well-known reasons," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, referring to disputes over alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang region.
"Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," spokesman Lin Jian said, adding that Beijing and the European Parliament had decided to lift all restrictions on mutual exchanges between lawmakers.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued its statement after it was previously reported that Beijing had lifted "restrictions" on former MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, who was sanctioned in 2021.
The normalization of relations was first confirmed by both the European Parliament and Beijing earlier this year.
Today's statement came ahead of a China-EU summit scheduled for later this month, where the EU's Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa are expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.
In March 2021 China has blacklisted ten EU individuals and four organisations in response to Brussels' sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Bütikofer, a German politician who at the time chaired the European Parliament delegation to China, was among those sanctioned, who were banned from entering China or doing business with it.
Beijing then accused the sanctioned individuals of seriously undermining the country's sovereignty and interests in Xinjiang.