Cameron Calls for Political Freedom in China
The Guardian reports:
David Cameron will take a calculated gamble and tell China's leaders today that they cannot shut down debate about democracy, urging them instead to recognise that political freedom, the rule of law and a free press represent the best path to stability and prosperity.
In a speech to students in Beijing, Cameron will go further than previous British prime ministers visiting China by urging the world's new economic superpower to embrace human rights and democracy.
Downing Street said Cameron had also used a banquet last night to personally raise the issue of individual human rights abuses with the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao – including the case of Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Chinese dissident awarded the Nobel Peace prize last month. "Of course we shouldn't be lecturing and hectoring but it is right we have a dialogue on these things," Cameron said yesterday.
No 10 said it would be counterproductive to go into details of Cameron's exchanges with Wen on the issue of Liu, but the British government was aware Liu's lawyer had been blocked by Chinese officials from flying to London yesterday on grounds of national security.
Since coming to power Cameron has been keen to put Britain's commercial interests far higher up the foreign policy agenda, and he is seeking to seal Beijing-sanctioned, multibillion-pound contracts with British companies during the visit. But as the first western leader in China since the announcement of Liu's Nobel award, he has been under growing pressure to set out the case for China to open up in its own long-term interest.
In a carefully modulated speech today, Cameron will say: "The rise in economic freedom in China has been hugely beneficial to China and to the world. I hope in time this will lead to a greater political opening because I am convinced that the best guarantor of prosperity and stability is for economic and political progress to go in step together."
