Fuente: © European Parliament
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

EU: Tibet, Burma and the Olympic Games dominate talks between MEPs and Chinese parliamentarians

/noticias.info/ Tibet, Burma and the Olympic Games were the three main issues discussed on Monday, the first day of the 26th EU-China Interparliamentary Meeting in Brussels this week. The two sides debated the role of the Dalai Lama in the violent protests in Lhasa in March 2008, China's refusal to exert pressure on Burma's military junta, and the prospects for free access to information for journalists covering the Olympics.

The first issue addressed was the recent earthquake in Szechuan province. Delegation Chair Dirk Sterckx (ALDE, BE), expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and congratulated the Chinese authorities on their swift and efficient response. He said the press coverage seemed "open and frank" and he "found it very positive to see articles on the front pages of newspapers about construction and building methods".

Trouble in Tibet

The major theme of Monday's meeting was Tibet. Maria Badia I Cutchet (PES, ES), asked about the Tibetans' cultural and educational rights, while several other MEPs questioned the Chinese government's stance towards the Dalai Lama.

Mayor of Lhasa Mr Duojicizhu replied that "in Tibet there were no human rights before Chinese liberation: you had a cruel, barbarian society based on feudalism, serfdom and slavery. We now have a democratic system, with individual freedoms protected," he added. He called the 14 March protest "criminal violence, premeditated and orchestrated by the Dalai Lama and his followers, with the aim of stirring up trouble in a sensitive period and of causing a bloodbath".

Chair of the Chinese Delegation and Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress Zha Peixin added that such problems "are not confined to China: you had similar problems last year in the suburbs of Paris, or in Los Angeles during race riots." He added that the common thread among all of these events is that "any responsible government cannot stand idle, it must take action to protect its people and their property."

Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, DE), said that the Dalai Lama "has no separatist ambitions, he just wants cultural autonomy", and asked what the Dalai Lama would need to do for negotiations to be restarted. Mr Zha replied that "the central government policy is consistent and clear: dialogue between it and the Dalai Lama is always open, but he must show genuine will for dialogue, and must recognize that Tibet is an inseparable part of Chinese territory".

Progress on Taiwan

On a more positive front, Mr Sterckx asked why relations with Taiwan were improving, in order to see if the world community can push for further changes to lower tensions in the region. Mr Zha replied that a lot is due to the elections held in March, which he said "showed that pro-independence views are not popular on the island" and that "mainstream opinion in Taiwan is that the economy should grow, peace should prevail, and ties across the straight should improve."

Non-intervention in Burma and close engagement with Africa

Mr Sterckx noted that unlike the Chinese response to its own natural catastrophe, "the military dictatorship in Burma showed no leadership", adding that "the population is abandoned, international help cannot reach them", that "there's a difference between intervention and influence", and asking China to do its utmost to help.

Mr Zha replied that "a country needs autonomy to take decisions, and sometimes mistakes are made, but it is up to the people of the country to correct these mistakes". He said "maintaining stability in Burma reflects the interests of everybody involved," and noted that elections are coming up in 2010. Mr Sterckx urged his Chinese counterparts to "ensure together that the elections will be up to standard, and that the results will be honoured, since otherwise it is pointless to hold them."

Ms Trüpel asked about China's policy towards Africa, noting that "China is responsible for arms transfers to conflict zones, even some under a UN embargo. This cannot be justified; such transfers are worsening the situation there". Mr Zha replied that "on arms sales to African countries, the accusations levelled against China are unfounded." On the specific case of Darfur, he added that "Sudan, the African Union and the UN should be the ones finding a solution to the crisis there", and he urged outside pressure to encourage dialogue between the Sudanese government and the opposition forces.

Foreign media movements during the Olympic Games

Manolis Mavrommatis (EPP-ED, EL) asked what opportunities foreign journalists will have to travel around the country during the Olympic Games. Foreign Affairs Committee Vice-Chair of the National People's Congress Qi Xuchun replied that the "Chinese Olympic Committee has set up an agency to provide services to foreign journalists, and these agencies provided good services to journalists during the earthquake, so you have no reason to worry". notas_de_prensa_archivo