§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if UK approval for China's application to join the World Trade Organisation was contingent on an improvement in human rights within(a) China and (b) Tibet. [15195]
§ Peter HainAs the WTO accession process is primarily dependent on fulfilling trade-related and economic objectives, this was the basis of the approval of China's application for WTO membership. The UK will encourage China to implement its WTO obligations in ways which respect international human rights standards. We believe that closer integration of China into the international community will make an important contribution to improving the human rights situation in China over the longer term.