‘Just an old European country’: Cameron wins no friends on China trip
The prime minister's was accused of hypocrisy today after he failed to mention human rights during a visit to China.
The visit was in danger of turning into a damp squib, with criticism at home and a lukewarm reception in China typified by critical editorials in the Chinese press.
An editorial in the Chinese Communist party's mouthpiece, Global Times, branded the UK "just an old European country apt for travel and study" ahead of the second day of Cameron's tour.
Musing on Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama, the paper continued: "China won't fall for Cameron's 'sincerity'.
"The Cameron administration should acknowledge that the UK is not a big power in the eyes of the Chinese."
The British press was just as critical, with pieces in the Financial Times and the Guardian criticising the prime minister for muddling issues of human rights and trade.
Cameron's visit comes after a freeze in Chinese-UK relations following his decision to meet the Dalai Lama.
The prime minister is intent on not letting issues around Tibet and human rights derail the UK's relationship with the rising Chinese economy.
But China is not making his efforts any easier, not least due to its decision to ban Bloomberg News journalist Robert Hutton from a press conference with Li Kegiang, the Chinese premier.
Bloomberg is blocked in China following an investigation into the finances of the president.
Cameron made no mention of human rights abuses during the press conferences and questions were not allowed.
Instead, Cameron and the premier read out their statements and walked away, ignoring BBC political editor Nick Robinson, who shouted that he wanted to ask a question.
"We spoke about all those issues as I always do. Whenever I come to China, I always raise human rights issues and I continue to do that on this visit," Cameron insisted afterwards.
"The British policy towards Tibet is unchanged. I have met the Dalai Lama as leader of the opposition, I have met him as prime minister, I don't have plans to meet him again. But my diary is for me to decide."
A spokesman for No 10 said: "As soon as [the threat of a ban] became apparent on Sunday, we raised our concerns at senior levels and made clear it would be completely inappropriate to exclude journalists from the press statements.
"When we heard what had happened today we expressed our deep concern to senior Chinese officials about journalists being blocked."
Cameron's silence over human rights is in sharp contrast to his recent criticism during a visit to Sri Lanka, in which he went out of his way to meet people who claimed they had been tortured by the state.
The prime minister was met with a frosty reception at a lunch in Shangai's business centre, although there was applause for his pledge to introduce a same-day business visa.
Cameron is visiting with a 120-strong business delegation, including representatives from Rolls-Royce, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Barclays, HSBC, GlaxoSmithKline, Arup, Virgin and smaller businesses.
The trip is being given such high priority that the autumn statement has been delayed by 24 hours and will now take place on Thursday.
