"THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT IS VERY COURAGEOUS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE WEST TO ADMIT THAT IT IS NOT PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA".

* The Italian Government

The proposal outlined in the heading summarizes, in a few short words, the outcome of Win Jingsheng's trip to Italy. Wei, who had been invited by the Radical Party, gave two press conferences in Rome, attended a public meeting and met with some of those actively involved on Italy's political scene. But, according to observers, including news agencies, the government coalition headed by Romano PRODI, strenuously endeavoured to avoid meeting the "cumbersome" guest by simply refusing to meet him, thereby managing to avoid any form of protest from the Chinese Embassy. This is a real departure from style if one adds to this the fact that it was only on the fifth and last day - and after national and international press agencies had stigmatized the government's attitude - that an invitation arrived from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with the Under-Secretary Patrizia TOIA, with this to be held at the same time as Wei's last and previously announced press conference; it ought to be pointed out that in addi

tion to meeting several European Foreign Secretaries during the previous months, Wei also met Lionel JOSPIN and Bill CLINTON.

* The meetings

The five days spent in Italy by the 1996 Sacharov Prize-winner, who arrived from Vienna, included a great many appointments and meetings. On April 18, he gave a press conference at the Radical Party's Head Office, and the following day, still in the RP's offices, a great many people attended a public meeting. Photos of the meeting are available on the RP's website (www:radicalparty.org). Wei spent the start of the week having public meetings with : Achille OCCHETTO, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Commission of Foreign Affairs, Gian Giacomo MIGONE from the Bureau of the Presidency of the Senate's Commission for Foreign Affairs, Antonio MARTINO, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Massimo D'ALEMA, a Forza Italia Deputy, who is also Secretary of the Left-of-Centre Democrats, recently returned from an official trip to Beijing, and Francesco RUTELLI, the Mayor or Rome.

* The visit

"Many Western leaders, when they meet the heads of the Chinese Communist Party, are only interested in signing contracts. And they always say that they talked about human rights. It is not in this way that the struggle for democracy in China will one day manage to move forward". It is with these words that Wei fights back on being released from prison. He continues to repeat this message at each and every meeting. He is clearly referring to the hypocrisy of the many years during which the Western governments adopted a policy of sticking their heads in the sand. Without waiting for an answer, he immediately gives Bill Clinton a piece of advice : "Do not think that democracy in China is the natural result of economic reforms. When you do business with the Communists, only pay when the goods have been delivered". He also calls for the immediate closure of the "laogai" and concentration camps, democratic reforms together with economic reforms, but also a refusal to allow the fragile Chinese economy to collapse.

This, in short, reflects the way of thinking of the candidate whose name has been put up four times for the Nobel Peace Prize and who has attempted to open a breach in the policy adopted by the Italian government and which is aligned with that defended by the European Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittain : that is to say, solely interested in highly advantageous economic dealings with Beijing.

* News agencies

The State or private TV news channels barely mentioned the visit. In contrast to this and with just a few exceptions, the written press published interviews with Wei and analysed his visit to Italy. Some significant headlines :

- "Wei criticizes the Italian government" (Il sole 24 ore, April 22)

- "The Chinese giant and the Italian dwarf" (Il Giornale, April 23)

- "The Chinese dissident castigates Italy and Europe" (Il Corriere della Sera, April 23)

- "Wei Jingsheng : Italy has snubbed me" (La Reppublica, April 23)

- "Silence and business deals" (Il Manifesto, April 23)

(Published by FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - Number 69 - 6 May, 1998)