HRW: Pressure on China should be stepped up
David Mepham, UK director of Human Rights Watch, demands a strong stance on China's human rights record from David Cameron:
"The British government today rolls out the red carpet for Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, with David Cameron talking about a 'Partnership for Growth' and huge new opportunities for British business in the Chinese market.
"Back in China, in the worst crackdown for a generation, thousands of Chinese are being held in detention, many held incommunicado and for long periods, and with some tortured while in Chinese prisons.
"In the last week, sustained public pressure has secured the release of Ai Weiwei and Hu Jia, two high profile critics of the Chinese regime. This pressure needs to be stepped up at all levels.
"In meetings with Wen, it is critical that British ministers move beyond quiet diplomacy and make a robust defence of universal values. Like Obama, they should criticise publicly the continuing and systematic violations of human rights in China, and press vigorously for the Chinese authorities to end their repression and comply with basic international standards."
