China urges US to downplay rights in strategic dialogue

May 6, 2011, 12:08 GMT

Beijing - China on Friday urged the United States not to focus on human rights issues during a bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue next week.

'We hope it (the United States) will not devote too much energy to individual cases or cases that involve violations of Chinese law,' Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai told reporters ahead of the two-day dialogue, which begins on Monday in Washington.

Cui said China wanted to discuss human rights with other nations 'based on equality and mutual respect.'

'But we also hope the outside world will take a practical and realistic attitude while observing the development of China's human rights,' he said.

US officials on Thursday said they planned to raise issues including human rights and the slow appreciation of China's currency during the talks.

Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Zhu Guangyao on Friday responded to recent US complaints that China continued to restrict market access for foreign firms by saying that his government planned to raise its own concerns next week.

'As the US government continues to request accessibility to the Chinese market for its firms, we now raise a similar request on behalf of Chinese firms,' Zhu said, adding that his government had received 'many complaints from Chinese companies.'

The Chinese side was also expected to reiterate its concerns over Washington's refusal to recognise China as a full market economy, and its controls over high-technology exports to China.

US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Thursday said the US side would 'raise issues of concern directly, honestly, and opening with our Chinese interlocutors, including issues of concern associated with human rights.'

Campbell said US officials would again ask China for 'explanations about disappearances, about arrests and legal procedures which we feel are either lacking or inappropriate.'

The US side also planned to discuss regional issues such as North Korea, Sudan the Middle East, Pakistan and anti-terrorism efforts, he said.

Treasury Department official David Loevinger said US officials had seen a 'change in tone' from China over how a stronger currency could 'help them contain inflationary pressures.'

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are scheduled to lead the talks.

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