The New York Times

Friday, April 21, 2000

Trade, Rights Top Jiang's Talks in Greece

By Reuters

ATHENS (Reuters) - Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin set about promoting trade links with Greece on Friday but also answered questions about China's human rights record.

``Prime Minister Costas Simitis brought up the human rights issue...which we believe is in the best condition since the founding of modern China,'' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao told a news conference.

He added that although the situation was not perfect, democratization and economic development made for improvements.

Greek media reported that the country's branch of Amnesty International had appealed to Simitis to raise human rights issues with Jiang.

The Chinese president discussed economic, commercial, technological and tourism cooperation with Greece.

``In the old days the Chinese did not travel abroad... Now they are slowly starting to get out of the country,'' Jiang said after meeting Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos.

Zhu said Greek ministers had proposed specific measures to encourage Chinese tourists, taking advantage of economic progress at home, to visit Greece.

Jiang arrived Friday for a three-day state visit, which includes touring Greece's ancient sites.

His agenda includes visits to the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis, the marble Olympic stadium in Athens used to launch the modern Games and the Knossos ruins in Crete.

Greek officials said they expected no major policy initiatives to stem from Jiang's visit but hoped to intensify Sino-Greek commercial and diplomatic relations.

One official said China ranked 33rd on Greece's export list in 1998, the latest figures available, purchasing only $16.5 million of goods, including marble and fertilizer.

China, by contrast, exported $490.4 million worth of goods to Greece, leaving Athens with a trade deficit of $474 million.

Zhu said trade agreements were being signed during the visit to address the trade deficit, including an $18 million deal to buy Greek fertilizers and $9 million worth of aluminium.

Politically, the two countries enjoy relatively smooth relations. China supported Greece's 1998 attempt to win a seat on the U.N. Security Council and follows international norms in not recognizing the breakaway Turkish enclave in Cyprus.

The Chinese president arrived from a tour of Turkey, Israel and Egypt and will fly from Crete to South Africa Monday morning.