Published by: World Tibet Network News 97/05/21 08:00 GMT

"Sydney Morning Herald" 20 May

By David Lague in Beijing

Beijing will reward the Howard Government for curbing its criticism

of China's human rights abuses for the visit beginning on Friday of

the Vice-Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, one of the coutnry's most powerful

leaders.

Mr Zhu will bring a delegation of more than 70 of China's top

business and political leaders, including 10 officials holding the

rank of vice-minister or above, for a seven-day visit.

China's move is part of a concerted diplomatic campaign to repay

"friendly" governments with high profile diplomatic exhcanges or the

prospect of business deals in abid to undermine attacks on Beijing's

suppression of political, religious and personal freedom.

Mr Zhu, widely applauded as China's economic supremo, said yesterday

that he had planned to visit some European nations but this had been

shelved when their governments backed a resolution last month

attacking China's human rights record at the United Nations Human

Rights Commission in Geneva.

"Originally I didn't have any plan to go to Australia," he said.

"I intended to visit some European countries. However, the attitude

of these countries at the UN Human Rights Commission session has

deeply disappointed us." Mr Zhu said China's Premier, Mr Li Peng, had

instructed him to visit Australia instead. The Howard government

last month witheld its support for the UN resolution attacking China.

Australia had backed similar resolutions in each of the previous six

years.

In a diplomatic coup for China, the resolution was disarmed when

other traditional supporters of the move, including France, Italy,

Germany, Spain, Greece and Japan, also withdrew their backing.