Graham's blog entry 24th November 2006

Published on Fri 24th Nov 2006

This week I have been in the People's Republic of China as a member of the EP's delegation for relations with the National People's Congress (their Parliament). Since I've been mainly out of touch with Brussels, this missive is devoted to China.

We spent two and a half days in Beijing, in discussion with their parliamentarians, and a day in Yichang looking at the Three Gorges Dam project. My colleagues then travelled on to Wuhan to study their approach to social problems in a major industrial town, while constituency and family commitments brought me back to the UK.

Beijing has changed tremendously since I first visited as an employee of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation twenty years ago. I have watched the changes on all my visits since. Gone are the bicycles and much of the air pollution from factories; the air is still just as polluted, but from motor vehicle exhaust fumes. Gone are many of the Hutong houses around the centre, replaced by multi-storey department stores, hotels and skyscraper office blocks. Gone are the drab grey and blue colours of communist clothing; in are modern, western styles in a country in which many younger citizens appear to regard western culture as superior to their own.

We discussed global and Asian security issues in the light of North Korea's nuclear test, economic and trade relations, human rights, environment and energy policy and social and economic reform. It was mainly a case of questions coming from our side and answers from theirs, but the tenor of the talks is much freer than in the past; and though our counterparts can hardly be described as democratically elected MPs they are nonetheless interesting interlocutors.

I led for our side on human rights issues and told them in my introductory remarks that our concern is rooted in the EU treaties which require Europe's common foreign and security policy to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and in the legal framework of the 1995 EU-PRC Co-operation Agreement. I expressed our concern not just for those jailed for free expression but also for the human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists who are persecuted for assisting them. I urged them to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which they signed eight years ago; to abolish the death penalty; to close the Laogai forced labour camps and allow freedom of religious and political affiliation and uncensored access to the internet. The European Parliament would be more prepared to consider lifting the arms embargo if these reforms were made, I said; and in any case a country so rich in history and culture must show respect for its own people in order to take its rightful place in the world community. Their answers were of course unsatisfactory, but I think they probably know me well enough by now to understand that my support for Taiwan and frequent criticism of the PRC is rooted in a respect for China's contribution to world civilisation rather than any disrespect; even though I make it clear I think they made the wrong choice in 1949.

In Yichang on Wednesday night I was served a Chivas Regal at the bar which had never been anywhere near Scotland. Counterfeiting - not just of fashion labels or whisky, but even of medicines or spare parts for cars and aircraft - is one of our major problems with China. But, as I believe is also the case with human rights, we stand a better chance of getting their government to take action if we actively engage with them rather than conducting megaphone diplomacy.

The Three Gorges Dam is a sight to be believed. Already operational, though not fully until 2008, it will prevent the floods which plague eastern China every ten years or so, produce energy equivalent to that of 15 nuclear power plants or the burning of 50 million tons of coal and prevent the release of 120 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. Legitimate concerns remain about its impact on the lives of the one and a half million people relocated to allow its construction and on the natural environment of the flooded areas; but I believe its EUR4bn construction cost and the wider EUR187m river basin management programme (to which the EU has contributed EUR25m) will prove a hugely worthwhile investment.

There is a school of thought in Liberalism which says we should not deal with the Communist oppressors of the Chinese people. Thirty years ago I adhered to that view with regard to the central and eastern European communist countries. I no longer do: indeed I am convinced that our engagement in dialogue and co-operation with them hastened the fall of the Berlin Wall, just as engaging with the Chinese government will force them to face up to the contradictions of their system. The unanswerable question is whether they can engineer a 'soft landing' transition from totalitarian rule to political pluralism. I am not optimistic and if I were an investor I would be putting my money into India instead.

I'll be travelling back to Brussels on Sunday for a conference which starts on Sunday evening and I hope to report on Brussels developments as usual next week.