Dear European TSGs,
As you may know, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhu Rongji visit Australia this
Friday with a delegation of 70 Chinese business leaders.
This is Australia's "reward" for refusing to co-sponsor the China
resolution at the UN Human Rights Session.
Zhu said at a media conference he held in Beijing yesterday that he
had cancelled trips to a number of European countries which had
sponsored the resolution, and was coming to Australia instead, on the
instructions of Premier Li Peng.
It would really help us in our work with the media here if we knew
which countries had had their trips cancelled. Also we are very
interested in any information about other forms of "punishment" the
Chinese are meting out eg. contracts cancelled or put on hold, visits
by other senior officials postponed etc.
You might be interested in this extract from the transcript of Zhu's
media conference:
"Q. (Journalist from ABC TV) I only have one question. It is not on
the list but as we rarely have opportunities to meet senior leaders I
hope you will answer it. Apart from your visit, is Australia in a
position to benefit from the downgrading of China's relations with
certain European countries resulting from their sponsorship of a
human rights delegation in Geneva?
A. I will be cautious in answering this question as I dnot not wish
to cast any slight on China's relations with any other countries.
Originally I intended to visit Europe, not Australia. But the
attitude towards human rights of some countries was a great
disappointment to us and it meant that the atmosphere was not suited
to a visit at this time. So it was postponed. This is not a
downgrading of relations. I just told them that a visit this year
was not convenient. I didn't say I wouldn't visit, I just postponed
it. Please keep this off the record. Premier Li told them that Australia
had done the right thing on human rights, and suggested I visit
there. Of course I was delighted to do so."
Looking forward to any information you might have.
Alex Butler
Australia Tibet Council
