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6.
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TIAN POINTED OUT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PAID ATTENTION TO POLITICAL RIGHTS AS WELL AS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS. THE RIGHT TO SUBSISTENCE WAS GIVEN FIRST PRIORITY BUT THIS DID NOT MEAN THAT POLITICAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS WERE IGNORED. AN UNBIASED PERSON WHO KNEW SOMETHING OF CHINA'S MODERN HISTORY WOULD KNOW THAT HUMAN RIGHTS WERE BETTER PROTECTED NOW THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE PAST. THE SITUATION WAS NOT PERFECT THERE WAS MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN DEMOCRACY, THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND LIVING CONDITIONS, AS THERE WAS IN ALL OTHER COUNTRIES. CHINA PAID ATTENTION TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS ACTIVITIES AND TIAN NOTED CHINA'S PARTICIPATION IN UN AGENCIES, MEMBERSHIP OF THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND ACCESSION TO 7 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS. CHINA HAD NOT ACCEDED TO THE 2 INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS BUT BASICALLY APPROVED
THEIR PURPOSES. HOWEVER, SPECIFIC PROVISIONS IN THEM WERE AT VARIANCE WITH CHINESE LEGISLATION AND THEREFORE CAREFUL STUDY WAS REQUIRED. AS FOR THOSE WHO HAD BEEN DETAINED FOR VIOLATING THE LAW, THEIR CASES HAD BEEN HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHINESE LAW. IT WAS NATURAL THAT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES SHOULD HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON HUMAN RIGHTS. COUNTRIES SHOULD SHOW MUTUAL RESPECT, FIND COMMON GROUND, SET ASIDE DIFFERENCES AND REACH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BY EXCHANGING VIEWS.
7.
LORD CAITHNESS SUGGESTED THAT THE PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTRY AND
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MIGHT BE APPROACHED WITH A VIEW TO THEIR SUPPLYING MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE NAMELISTS. THE VICE-FOREIGN MINSITER REPLIED THAT THEY HAD PROVIDED ALL THAT THEY
COULD AT THIS STAGE. I POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THESE MINISTRIES HAD PROVIDED A BREAKDOWN BY CATEGORIES, INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUALS MUST BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. SECRETARY OF STATE BAKER HAD BEEN TOLD WHICH INDIVIDUALS FELL INTO WHICH CATEGORY AND WE NOW HOPED THAT WE COULD
BE GIVEN THE SAME LEVEL OF INFORMATION. TIAN REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE INFORMATION WHICH HAD BEEN GIVEN TO BAKER. THE CHINESE SIDE WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO RESPOND TO THESE REQUESTS AND THE RELEVANT MINISTRIES HAD PROVIDED THE INFORMATION WHICH THEY WERE ABLE TO. LORD CAITHNESS SAID HE UNDERSTOOD BUT IF MORE COULD BE DONE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. HE REPEATED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER TOOK A CLOSE INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE.
8.
OVER DINNER AFTERWARDS DAVIES (FED) PASSED A COPY OF
MR GUMMER'S LETTER AND ITS ENCLOSED LIST OF DETAINED CATHOLICS TO SONG MINGJIANG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR WEST EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT. HE POINTED OUT THAT OUR POINT WAS NOT SIMPLY TO HAND OVER LISTS BUT TO EMPHASISE OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED AND OUR STRONG WISH TO SEE THEM RELEASED. ONLY THROUGH SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT ON
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