TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 131

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS, THE HAGUE

136612 MDLIAN 2055

WHITE PAPER ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

SUMMARY.

1.

PUBLICATION OF A LENGTHY OFFICIAL CHINESE WHITE PAPER ON HUMAN RIGHTS. WIDE-RANGING BUT FAILS TO ADDRESS FOREIGN

CONCERNS. SOME STRENGTHENING OF THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE ARGUMENT ON THE INADMISSIBILITY OF INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL

AFFAIRS ON GROUNDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

DETAIL.

2. A ''WHITE PAPER ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA' WAS PUBLISHED ON

1 NOVEMBER BY THE INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL

(A BODY ESTABLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO PUBLICISE GOVERNMENT POLICIES AMONGST FOREIGNERS). THE STATED AIM OF THE 45,000 CHARACTER REPORT IS TO HELP THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION AS IT IS IN CHINA''.

THE REPORT HAS A SHORT PREFACE AND TEN CHAPTERS.

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3. THE WHITE PAPER RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND

ADMITS CHINA STILL HAS WORK TO DO IN THIS AREA. BUT WITH ONE

POSSIBLE EXCEPTION (ARGUMENTS AGAINST 'INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS' BASED ON UN DECLARATIONS SEE BELOW, PARA 8), THE REPORT IS LARGELY AN ELABORATION OF WELL-KNOWN CHINESE POSITIONS. CHAPTERS ON POLITICAL RIGHTS AND JUDICIAL PRACTICES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE LITTLE MORE THAN DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PRESCRIPTIONS. PROBLEMS MOST OFTEN RAISED BY FOREIGNERS ARE NOT ADDRESSED. THE STYLE IS LARGELY UNPOLEMICAL, ALTHOUGH WESTERN PRACTICES ARE SOMETIMES COMPARED UNFAVOURABLY WITH CHINESE AND SOME COMMON CRITICISMS (E.G. ON EXPORT OF GOODS MADE BY PRISON LABOUR) ARE TACKLED EXPLICITLY, ALBEIT IN THE CONVENTIONAL WAY.

4. THE WHITE PAPER BEGINS BY STATING THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN ANY COUNTRY SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED IN TOTAL

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