§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the question of human rights was discussed at his recent meeting in Peking; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the subject of human rights, and in particular the present situation in Tibet, with both Mr. Qian Qichen, the Chinese Foreign Minister, and Mr. Jiang Zemin, the General Secretary. He referred to a list of cases of particular concern compiled by Amnesty International. We have made regular representations to the Chinese authorities, both bilaterally and with our EC partners, about reported human rights abuses in China.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken concerning the imprisonment of Catholic priests and clergy of other denominations in China at the most recent date.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe regularly make representations to the Chinese about these matters. EC ambassadors in Peking made a demarche on this subject last year and my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs also raised it on his visit to Peking in July last year.
On his recent visit to Peking, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reminded the Chinese authorities of our general concern about reports of human rights abuses. He referred to a list of cases of particular concern, which included a number of people imprisoned for their religious beliefs.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the question of religious freedom in Hong Kong after the handover to China in 1997 was discussed during his recent visit to Peking.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThis question did not arise during the recent discussions that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had with the Chinese Government. The Sino-British joint188W declaration and the Basic Law both make provision for the continuation of freedom of religious belief and practice in Hong Kong after 1997. In addition, the international covenant on civil and political rights, article 18 of which covers religious freedom, will, under the joint declaration and Basic Law, continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to China.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Thorne) on 15 April, inOfficial Report, Vol. 189, columns 111–12.