In a world of deepening geopolitical fragmentation, can an organisation like the EU still shape human rights in a country as guarded as China? This book argues that it can – and does. China's human rights system is not impervious to Western influences. Beneath the noise of sanctions, summits and dialogues, human rights norms are quietly diffusing into Chinese law and policy, especially regarding social, economic, environmental and digital rights. Drawing on extensive case studies, the book reveals this overlooked influence, explaining how norms travel through three interconnected modes – multilateral, bilateral and unilateral – and why Beijing accepts, repurposes or rejects them. The key lies not in the EU's power, but in the fact that some human rights align with the Chinese Communist Party's interest in its own survival. The result is an evidence-rich account of an influence larger than Europe imagines and too inconvenient for China to admit.