 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Washington (AFP) May 5, 2011 The United States said Thursday that it would raise human rights concerns with China during high-level talks next week despite Beijing's warnings against foreign comments on its wave of detentions. The United States and China on Monday open the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue, the main forum between the world's two largest economies to discuss a range of issues. "It is our intention to raise issues of concern directly, honestly and openly with our Chinese interlocutors, including issues of concern associated with human rights," Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, told reporters. Campbell said that President Barack Obama's administration believed in raising human rights "not just generally, but specifically" by seeking answers on individual cases with China. "We ask our Chinese interlocutors for explanations about disappearances, about arrests, and legal procedures that we feel are either lacking or inappropriate," he said. The United States last month held an annual human rights dialogue with China in which Michael Posner, the assistant secretary of state who handles human rights, accused China of "serious backsliding." He raised cases including that of Ai Weiwei, a world-acclaimed avant-garde artist whose criticism was begrudgingly tolerated in the past but who was detained as China mounts its biggest clampdown on dissent in years. But Posner made no tangible progress on the cases and some rights activists worried that the dialogue could be counterproductive by allowing China to confine discussions on such issues to a side dialogue. China on Thursday warned other countries to stop commenting on the detention of Ai as Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann began a visit during which he was expected to raise Ai's case. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard also pressed China on the detention of human rights activists during a visit to Beijing last week, but Premier Wen Jiabao denied to her that China had taken a "backward step."
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links China News from SinoDaily.com
China rejects foreign protests over Ai WeiweiBeijing (AFP) May 5, 2011 China said Thursday that other countries should stop commenting on the detention of prominent artist Ai Weiwei, after Austria this week joined a growing international chorus calling for his release. The reaction from China's foreign ministry came as Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann began a visit to China, during which he was expected to raise the case of Ai, who was taken into custody a mo ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
