TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 134

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136612 MOLIAN 2055 .

AMONG STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHARTER OF THE UN AND ON THE INADMISSIBILITY OF INTERVENTION AND INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF STATES, AND MAKES THE FOLLOWING QUOTATION FROM ONE OF THESE DECLARATIONS (UNSPECIFIED): ''NO STATE OR GROUP OF STATES HAS THE RIGHT TO INTERVENE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, IN THE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OF ANY OTHER STATE''.

COMMENT.

9.

THE WHITE PAPER RESTATES WELL-KNOWN CHINESE POSITIONS BUT

FAILS TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS WHICH MOST CONCERN FOREIGN CRITICS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT PURPOSE IT WILL SERVE THE CHINESE, EXCEPT AS A HANDY METHOD OF EVASION FOR CHINESE MINISTERS. ZHU RONGJI DEALT WITH CHIRAC'S REPRESENTATIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

BY REFERRING HIM TO THE WHITE PAPER. CLEARLY IT WAS COMMISSIONED AS A PART OF CHINA'S PUBLICITY COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST CRITICS,

BUT BY NOW THINGS HAVE MOVED ON. THOSE INTERESTED IN HUMAN

RIGHTS ARE NOW LOOKING FOR CONCRETE ANSWERS TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

THE WHITE PAPER SHOWS NO REAL EVIDENCE OF ACCOMMODATING FOREIGN

CONCERNS OR CONCEPTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS. IT ILLUSTRATES THE TACTIC OF APPEARING TO BE ENTERING INTO A DIALOGUE BUT, IN PRACTICE, DOING NOTHING TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION.

10. THE ONE AREA IN WHICH THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A DEVELOPMENT IS

IN THE CHINESE ARGUMENT ON THE INADMISSIBILITY OF INTERFERENCE

IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS ON HUMAN RIGHTS GROUNDS. THE DECLARATIONS

REFERRED TO IN PARA 8 ABOVE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED BEFORE IN THIS

CONTEXT AND IT MAY BE WORTH LEGAL ADVISERS CHECKING THEIR STATUS AND RELEVANCE. (COPIES OF THE WHITE PAPER ARE BEING SENT BY BAG TO FED AND TO HONG KONG). THE SOLIDARITY OF THE DEVELOPING

WORLD AGAINST WESTERN CRITICS IS A STRONG THEME.

11. WHILE THE WHITE PAPER IS UNSATISFACTORY IN MEETING WESTERN..... CONCERNS, IT DOES OPEN NEW AVENUES FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE ON HUMAN RIGHTS. THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ITSELF CAN BE TREATED AS FURTHER RECOGNITION OF THE LEGITIMACY OF DISCUSSING CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS' AND THE THINNESS OF MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS SHOULD PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR POINTS TO BE MADE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE ADMISSION THAT CONCEPTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ARE STILL EVOLVING AND THAT THE SITUATION IN CHINA NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED CAN BE PURSUED FURTHER. IN ADDITION, CHINA HAS LONG ACCEPTED THAT SOME ACTS (E.G. GENOCIDE, APARTHEID) CAN JUSTIFY ACTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE APPROVAL GIVEN BY

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