World Tibet Network News Tuesday, January 27, 1998

COPENHAGEN, Jan 26 (AFP) - Denmark will not initiate a new resolution criticising China when the UN Human Rights Commission opens its annual session in March, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said Monday.

Last March, Denmark attempted to persuade the United Nations to adopt a resolution condemning human rights violations by the Chinese regime.

China, however, managed to prevent the resolution from getting as far as a vote. Moreover, it denounced Denmark's hostility and threatened reprisals.

Speaking to reporters, Petersen said: "It is very probable that a new resolution would receive a lot less support than last year, and that it would be detrimental to the progress made towards human rights in China."

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said during a visit to China earlier this month that this year like last year, there had been no agreement within the EU over a resolution criticising Beijing.

The Danish foreign minister said that "something has happened since last year ... and the confrontation -- with Beijing -- has yielded results with which we are satisfied."

"The situation is different and better this year," said Petersen, adding that China was ready to sign the UN convention on economic, social and cultural rights and that, for the first time, UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson had been invited to the country.

He said that talks between China and the EU on human rights had resumed and the EU ambassadors had been allowed to travel to Tibet. In addition, China is about to host a major conference on human rights.

According to Petersen, Sino-Danish relations have been normalised and

Denmark has invited Chinese vice-premier Li Lanqing to visit in February.