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Brown presses China's Wen on Tibet

AFP

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (right) meets Prime Minister Gordon Brown outside 10 Downing Street in London on 2 February 2009. Brown said Monday he pressed Wen over human rights and Tibet, in talks between the two in London.AFP/Shaun Curry/UK

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday he pressed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao over human rights and Tibet, in talks between the two in London.

In comments after the talks, Brown praised Wen on some rights issues, but said Britain broached more sensitive questions as part of an annual Britain-China human rights dialogue.

“Premier Wen has overseen improvements in social and economic rights in China which have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the last three decades,” Brown told a joint press conference.

“But the UK will continue through our regular dialogue to seek rapid progress towards all international human rights standards, and I urged further dialogue on the Chinese government to resolve the underlying issues in Tibet.”

As the pair met, around 50 pro-Tibetan and some 100 pro-Chinese demonstrators gathered outside Brown’s Downing Street office for rival protests, watched by a heavy police presence.

Five people were arrested after demonstrations Sunday.

As well as boosting trade ties, Wen’s trip also aims to mend relations strained over the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader who Beijing accuses of trying to seek independence from Chinese rule.

Brown has stressed the importance of Britain’s relationship with China, although human rights activists have warned against getting too close.

Copyright © 2009 AFP

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