Published by: World Tibet Network News, Tuesday, August 13, 1996

By Mark Lever, AAP Diplomatic Correspondent

CANBERRA, Aug 12 AAP - Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer today defended his approach to China amid claims that his department had raised concerns with Prime Minister John Howard about deteriorating relations with Beijing.

The federal opposition seized on a report in The Australian newspaper that the Foreign Affairs and Trade Department had urged Mr Howard not to meet the Dalai Lama next month for fear of exacerbating tensions with Beijing.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said it was further evidence of Mr Downer's inadequacy and incompetence.

Both Mr Howard's office and Mr Downer declined to comment on the report, although Mr Downer defended the handling of another issue which last week brought a formal protest from Beijing.

He denied the visit to Taiwan next month by Primary Industries Minister John Anderson, who is leading a delegation of 100 business people on a trade promotion, was a departure from Australia's one-China policy.

I think Australia has a productive relationship with China," Mr Downer told journalists.

We are continuing, however, with the policy of the previous government in relation to sending ministers to Taiwan.

When Mr Brereton was in government he was happy for Senator (Bob) McMullan and Senator (John) Button and one or two others to go to Taiwan on an unofficial private basis.

We are doing that. We are continuing with that policy."

Mr Brereton said in a statement Mr Downer had repeatedly denied that his handling of the portfolio, including the scrapping of the Development Import Finance Facility (DIFF), had damaged relations with China.

If that were so, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not be giving the advice concerning the delicate condition of our relations with China," Mr Brereton said.

He said former prime minister Paul Keating met the Dalai Lama four years ago and so should Mr Howard - especially after the coalition's policy included a commitment to human rights in Tibet.

If Mr Howard does not meet the Dalai Lama it would represent a very significant downgrading of Australia's support for human rights and religious freedom in Tibet," Mr Brereton said.

Responsibility for such a failure would rest firmly with the prime minister who appointed Mr Downer as minister for foreign affairs and who continues to support him in that post - in spite of the overwhelming evidence of his inadequacy and incompetence."

The Dalai Lama is due to visit Australia in late September and Mr Downer told parliament in June he would be prepared to meet him.

As the figurehead of the Tibetan independence movement, China regards any official recognition of the Dalai Lama as an implied attack on the legitimacy of Chinese rule.

Chinese ambassador Hua Junduo warned when the visit was announced in May that it would damage relations, which have since come under increasing strain on a number of fronts.

China has lead international protests at the scrapping of the DIFF soft loan aid scheme, voiced misgivings about the motives behind Australia's efforts to increase the United States military presence on the region and issued a formal protest at Mr Anderson's visit to Taipei.

Australian Tibet Council president Stewart Johnson said if Mr Howard decided not to meet with the Dalai Lama it would be read by China as a change of policy on Tibet.

Australians would expect their prime minister to meet an international visitor of such stature.

The Dalai Lama is a spokesperson not only for his own people but for everyone who believes in human rights, tolerance and environmental harmony, Mr Johnson said.

He is also revered by Australia's large Buddhist community and by many non-Buddhist as a pre-eminent spiritual teacher."