CONFIDENTIAL
lists and appeal on behalf of individual prisoners. These actions have occasionally but infrequently benefitted individual Chinese (eg Luo Haixing, released after the Prime Minister's visit). But the effectiveness of the dialogue has been limited by China's determination to channel discussion away from specific cases and towards general debate on theoretical matters.
8. Institutional change will only come through fundamental political change in China, and the evolution of Chinese society.
There are clearly limits to what can be achieved in the short to
medium term, and by outsiders. But there are s ome small steps which can be taken which may have a cumulatively beneficial
Objectives
9.
The following objectives should guide us. We should:
effect.
(a) seek to develop a constructive dialogue with the Chinese on
general human rights issues;
(b) maintain pressure on the Chnese government Over individual
cases, particularly on behalf of people detained for expressing political and religious views;
(c) give encouragement and discreet support to individual Chinese
working for the improvement of human rights practices in China and the evolution of a democratic system of government;
(d) promote long term institutional change, particularly in the
legal system and the Civil Service.
10. These objectives can be furthered in a number of ways:
(a) High level exchanges. The six-monthly meetings at Foreign
Minister level now agreed provide a
now agreed provide a framework within which to pursue the general dialogue and to make representations about
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