The European Commission's efforts to win approval for Europe's massive investment deal with China were effectively "suspended" due to the soured diplomatic relations between Brussels and Beijing following tit-for-tat sanctions. Europe and China had approved a major investment deal last December, however, it has now unravelled due to Beijing imposing sanctions on European parliament members and others following EU's sanctions on four Chinese officials directly responsible for Beijing's hard policies against Uyghurs and draconian laws imposed on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.