RESTRICTED
and
you
telno 1235.
PRIORITY
approache
strongest candidate might be the Hong Kong residents detained in
QVY
China ( our telno.845), or attend some of the more
HUMAN RIGHTS MISSION
Isome
us
Jem
4
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prominent dissidents who are now reported to be in bad health (eg Wang Juntao). There are clearly great sensitivities here for the Chinese and we cannot think of a direct parallel of releases during a visit. But their timing of other gestures eg earlier releases of detainees, release of Fang Lizhi, has clearly been was timed in relation to Western (and particularly the West) opinion. You may wish to discuss the question privately who Jiang Enzhu and Who He sud understand that action ahead of te mit, wd be good for the units
atmospherics (o take some of the heat out &
tie
3. Some human rights groups here continue to favour this option and it is clearly a route that others (eg Australia, France, Switzerland) find useful. We however are not attracted by this The experience of others is not encouraging. Press reports on
the Australian mission have been mixed, and we understand that
there is still no agreement with the Chinese on when the French
A
TS mission should visit.Missions likely to be seen as
are inquisitorial and confrontational in tone, which seems unlikely to evoke the best response from the Chinese. And the Chinese are
Missions able to exert a large measure of control over what they do and who they see. Practically speaking it would also be difficult to
assemble a suitable group here with the necessary credibility and
expertise.
so as w give duer bucetings
suitable Leigur
MEETINGS BETWEEN EXPERTS
4. As an alternative to as mission, another possibility might be lower-key meetings between UK and Chinese experts to discuss
concepts of human rights and the situation in China. These
experts might be lawyers or academics with a particular expertise
in human rights matters, or even NGOs. It would however be,
Specific necessary to make clear that they were meeting with the (authority of the two Prime Ministers. This might be a way into building up a more substantial, and detailed, dialogue on human rights in a