§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Prime Minister what representations he made about human rights during his recent visit to China. [55952]
§ The Prime MinisterIn my meetings with President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji, I welcomed China's signature of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and urged China to commence a dialogue with the Dalai Lama on Tibet. I raised the cases of individuals, including Xu Wenli, who was detained on 7 October and then released. In my speech on 7 October I emphasised the need to address human rights through continued dialogue and encouraged China to take further positive steps.