Human rights worries will not derail trade talks, says Clark

Chinese President Hu Jintao (right) and Helen Clark, seen in 2003 at the AG Research Centre in Hamilton. Picture / Greg Bowker

BEIJING - New Zealand will continue to raise concerns about human rights issues in China, but will not allow it to derail a potential trade deal with the north Asian giant, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.

The Prime Minister has arrived in Beijing ahead of talks with Chinese political leaders late tonight.

The visit is intended to keep up the momentum in China's first trade negotiations with a developed nation.

It also comes a few days before the 16th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre which saw pro-democracy protesters slaughtered in the centre of Beijing on June 4, 1989.

Miss Clark said New Zealand had always raised concerns about human rights issues in China and would continue to do so.

"Clearly the political system here is one that would not be acceptable under any conditions in New Zealand and there are a number of issues that are important to raise," Miss Clark said.

Sensitivities over Tiananmen Square still run high in China.

International news broadcaster CNN runs on a time delay allowing one advertisement mentioning the massacre to be partially blanked out and many human rights activists still hold it up as an example of China's values.

Miss Clark indicated New Zealand would take a pragmatic approach.

"If we only traded with people who held precisely the same values and had similar political systems to our own, it would be a very, very small group of countries.

"What we have to do is work with countries in ways which keep our own integrity, but also insure we maintain our people's living standards."

Trade negotiators met recently with their Chinese counterparts for a third round of talks since last November, and say there are encouraging signs that a comprehensive agreement ensuring access to China's market will eventually emerge.

Miss Clark said it was an important deal for New Zealand.

"China is set to become the world's biggest economy by 2020 and it would be a foolish country which wasn't looking for opportunities in that great big growing market," Miss Clark said.

"There are real advantages to being first in doing the agreement because we are setting the precedents. We are mindful of that and the Chinese will be mindful of that. It's important to us it is a good quality agreement."

Miss Clark will meet with President Hu Jintao this evening (NZ time) and later with Premier Wen Jiabao.

Besides trade issues, the prime minister expects to discuss regional politics including the North Korean nuclear issue and the tension between China and Japan.

Miss Clark indicated New Zealand would not be taking sides on the latter issue.

"From New Zealand's point of view, we want both these large and powerful countries to reconcile."

On Tuesday evening Miss Clark will fly to Tokyo and on Wednesday meets with her Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi.

* Ian Llewellyn is in China with the assistance of the Asia: NZ Foundation.

- NZPA