THE Chinese government yesterday called in the ambassadors of Denmark, the UK and the Netherlands to protest formally at their sponsorship of a United Nations resolution condemning China's human rights record.
Eleven EU countries, including Ireland, backed the resolution which was submitted by Denmark to the European Commission on Human Rights in Geneva after the EU failed for the first time since 1990 to submit a unified motion.
France, backed by Germany, Italy and Spain, all of which have become significant trading partners of China in recent years, declined to support a resolution criticising China on the grounds that dialogue would achieve more than confrontation.
President Jacques Chirac of France is guaranteed an effusive welcome when he visits Beijing next month. The Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, said China highly appreciated the "wise and farsighted decision" of the French leader to stop supporting UN motions critical of China's human rights record.
The Danish resolution is almost certain to be successfully blocked by China, as in the past.
The atmosphere at the meetings with the foreign ambassadors in Beijing yesterday was described as "serious". One European diplomat said there was no point in singling out Denmark as it represented the views of a majority of EU countries, and expressed the hope that having made its point forcefully, China will not take further action.
A Chinese government spokesman said on Monday that ties with Denmark would suffer if it went ahead with the resolution. In a move which will strengthen China's argument at the Human Rights Commission, President Jiang Zemin announced that Beijing would sign the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights this year.
This requires a government to protect its people from discrimination, ensure fair distribution of natural resources, and submit an annual report to the United Nations on social rights.
President Jiang said the Beijing leadership had also "repeatedly evaluated" a second UN accord which China has always declined to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - but did not give any indication if Beijing planned to sign it as well.
President Jiang gave the information to France's visiting Defence Minister, Mr Charles Millon, when they met in Beijing on Monday. He said he hoped France would persuade other Western nations to avoid confrontation in favour of dialogue.
The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor reacted sceptically to China's commitment to subscribe to a UN human rights convention. "I'm unimpressed," said a spokesman, Mr Paul Harris. "The timing is obviously designed to reduce the risk of China being condemned in the debate at the United Nations."
China is also resisting subscribing to an annual human rights report on Hong Kong. Patrick Smyth adds from Brussels:
China yesterday continued its sabre-rattling at the EU with a warning to the Commission to avoid "incorrect statements" about Hong Kong in a declaration due today to the European Parliament.
The foreign ministry spokesman, Mr Shen Guofang, stressed that before the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1st, the territory remained an exclusively bilateral issue between Britain and China. After the handover date, Hong Kong will be "an internal affair of China and no foreign government or organisation can interfere," he added.
Mr Shen also criticised the EU ban on arms sales to China.