The Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, is prepared to answer any questions on human rights put to him during his official visit to Ireland next month.
"If the Irish side want to talk on any question we will be happy to respond," a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said yesterday.
On Thursday the Irish section of Amnesty International said it would be asking the Government to raise the issue of human rights abuses with Premier Zhu during his visit from September 2nd to 5th. An Amnesty spokesman, Mr Brian Dooley, said the group had no objections to the visit per se and saw it as an opportunity to raise concerns with the Premier.
"It's crucial that Irish politicians and business leaders use the occasion to bring up human rights abuses," he said. `We will make representations to the Government to raise the issue, and we are confident they will do so."
Mr Dooley said there were no plans as yet for major protests during the visit, but he expected that groups, including the Falun Gong, would voice their objections.
Mr Zhang Tuo, deputy director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Department of Western European Affairs, told The Irish Times yesterday that if the Government wanted to talk about human rights "China will take an open attitude and talk about it".
He added, however, that discussions might concentrate on "more important questions and views".
Mr Zhu's arrival on September 2nd will begin the first official visit by a Chinese premier to Ireland. The Chinese VicePremier, Mr Li Lanqing, was in Dublin last year.
Mr Zhang said Premier Zhu would use his visit to exchange views on how to expand co-operation between the two countries in all areas.
"He wants to learn about the successful experience Ireland has had on economic development. He will brief Mr Ahern on China's economic development. China and Irish relations have developed very well."
Mr Zhang referred to the Taoiseach's visit to China in 1998, which resulted in the Asia Strategy "in which Ireland made China a key co-operative partner and an area of expansion, especially in the high-tech and education sectors".
Mr Zhang said trade between Ireland and China had doubled in the past year. "China is fully confident of the mutual beneficial co-operation between the two countries and the great possibilities for further development."
The Prime Minister will be the first foreign head of state to stay in Farmleigh House. He will be accompanied to Ireland by an entourage of 170, including ministers and vice-ministers.
Premier Zhu will travel from Ireland to Brussels to attend the 4th Sino-European summit. He will also be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and China.
The Taoiseach invited Mr Zhu to Ireland during a meeting of regional leaders in Seoul, South Korea, last October. They discussed initiatives to improve trade and political links between the two countries.
Mr Zhu has a stated interest in the high-tech sector and is expected to visit software companies during his stay.
Proposals to twin Dublin with Beijing caused a major row last March. The Independent Tibet Network urged the lord mayor of Dublin, Mr Maurice Ahern, to abandon the idea, which Amnesty International described as "dreadfully inappropriate".
