§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for a representative from the British Embassy in Beijing to be present at the trial of Jiang Qisheng. [97900]
§ Mr. BattleForeign diplomats were unable to attend the trial of Jiang Qisheng on 1 November. The court is now in recess. It is not known when the next session will be held. The Chinese authorities have not allowed diplomats to attend the trials of any dissidents.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking in respect of the decision of the Chinese Government to make Jiang Qisheng stand trial. [97899]
§ Mr. BattleI personally raised Jiang Qisheng's case in my talks with the Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and expressed our concerns about his trial and possible sentencing. I will continue to press his case.