The following report on the UN Secretary-General's statement, while in China, is interesting.
Bhuchung
Asia Times, May 9, 1997
Annan lauds China's UN role
Francesco Lao Xi Sisci, Beijing, 9th May 1997
New United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, paying his first visit to China, on Thursday stressed the importance he attaches to human rights.
"Human rights are very much part of good
government and an essential element of the world today," he said.
"When we look around us today we see a
tremendous desire for democracy from peoples everywhere ... people are concerned about good governance, the right to express themselves.
"Whether governments are in ... developed or
developing countries, they will have to decide how to organize their societies to achieve these objectives."
The secretary-general said he did not find
"embarrassing or inconvenient" the prize awarded by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to jailed Chinese journalist Gao Yu, adding that it had not been raised during his talks. He arrived on Wednesday for a five-day courtesy visit.
But China described the prize as a mistake
which would have a bad impact on Chinese cooperation with UNESCO.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang said
Gao's case had nothing to do with media freedom. He accused the UN body of
exceeding its authority and of interfering in China's internal affairs.
UNESCO said Gao was awarded this year's
Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom prize because she lost "her own freedom for her commitment to media independence".
Gao was charged with leaking state secrets,
apparently while writing about Communist Party politics for a Hong Kong magazine. She was convicted in May 1994 in a secret trial and jailed for six years.
Annan held talks earlier in the day with
Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and President Jiang Zemin. Aside from UN reform, topics discussed included the future of Hong Kong, economic development and disarmament.
On the Hong Kong handover, Annan said China's
past conduct over the territory indicated its good intentions.
"Over the last 20 or 30 years ... China could
have disrupted activities in Hong Kong if it had chosen to," he said. "But it realizes that a prosperous and free Hong Kong is in the interests of Hong Kong and the Chinese people."
Beijing does not intend to interfere in the
territory after the July 1 handover, Annan said.
"I was assured that the concerns expressed by
foreigners ... were misplaced and indeed time will prove that they were misplaced."
Annan said China, one of the five permanent
members of the UN Security Council, played an important role in the organization
and had a leadership role in the world. He said he was encouraged by the support it gave to moves to reform the world body.
Japan is a candidate to join the Security
Council as a permanent member with the right of veto but China would prefer a developing country.
China and the secretary-general were in full
agreement on opposing moves by Taiwan to join the UN. Diplomats said
Beijing was extremely concerned about Taiwan's ambitions for membership, seeing it as a move toward independence.
