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Human Rights in China
4.
Mr Gummer continued that when talking to the Chinese Vice-Premier during his recent visit there, he had told him that the Chinese authorities' treatment of Catholics gave them a bad image in the United Kingdom. It might well remain incomprehensible to the Chinese that a Bishop could be made a Cardinal after 25 years of imprisonment. But the only realistic way ahead was for pressure to be kept up by naming names and monitoring what happened to these individuals. This might, in the longer term, embarrass the authorities into taking positive action.
5.
Cardinal Tomko agreed emphatically that the way ahead was through discreet action at the diplomatic level. A long haul could be expected. According to the Chinese authorities, membership of the underground Church broke the law, but what law ? Religious freedom was the main expression of human rights but, to the Chinese, everything was 'face'. The same applied in Peking's attitude to Taiwan: there were indeed many connections, but it would cause loss of face to admit these in public.
6.
Mr Gummer remarked on the difficulties for any Catholics in China who believed in Papal authority: they could only express this clandestinely. The Cardinal told Mr Gummer that his Congregation issued guidelines on how to deal with the CPA; There were no clandestine seminaries but permission was given for students to enter those where everything seemed proper so far as the religious requirement was concerned. Mr Gummer commented that this was an incredible situation, since both bishops of the CPA and the underground Church were equally valid in the sight of Rome. They had all been legally enthroned.
7.
Cardinal Tomko agreed, and added that the Chinese hierarchy was old and lacked the spirit of reconciliation. They feared the process recently seen in Eastern and Central Europe and the Soviet Union, and saw the hand of the Catholic Church at the centre of these changes. Perhaps the generation to come would have a different attitude to allegiance to Rome. Certainly change was needed on human rights. The Cardinal was pleased to note that, apart from ourselves, the U.S. and the German Governments were keeping up the pressure. However it was important that the pressure should be applied in ways that allowed the Chinese to make the necessary improve- ments without losing face.
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