US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed China’s leaders yesterday on sensitive human rights issues, but said she was encouraged by their decision to hold talks with the Dalai Lama’s envoys.
In meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤)and Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) in Beijing, Rice said she raised the cases of several dissidents detained by China as well as the ruling Communist Party’s controls on the Internet.
“I think that is one of the brewing issues,” Rice said as she summarized their discussions on Internet freedoms.
“The Internet is becoming so ubiquitous. It shouldn’t be something used to constrain and limit political speech,” she said.
Differences over the international response to the political crisis in Zimbabwe were also discussed, with Rice insisting the UN Security Council had a key role to play despite China’s preference for a mainly African solution.
Rice said the talks also covered the recent progress in the long-running campaign to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, problems in the international economy and climate change.
In brief comments at the start of their meeting, Hu thanked Rice for visiting China’s earthquake-hit Sichuan Province on Sunday as well as US assistance following the disaster in May that left nearly 90,000 people dead.
Rice told reporters the recent unrest in Tibet was also discussed, with the top US diplomat expressing cautious optimism over Beijing’s decision to hold further talks with envoys of the region’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
“I am encouraged that there at least will be a second round of talks,” she said.
However she repeated that the US did not accept China’s accusations that the Dalai Lama was bent on achieving independence for his Himalayan homeland, which has been ruled by China for nearly 60 years.
“The Dalai Lama is a figure of considerable moral authority. He is a figure who has rejected violence. He is a figure who talks about cultural and religious historical autonomy,” she said. “He doesn’t push for political independence.”
Her comments came as the Tibetan government-in-exile said envoys of the Dalai Lama were expected to arrive in Beijing later yesterday for two days of talks with Chinese officials.
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