Written question asked by Dennis Canavan (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 29 February 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 March 2000. It was answered by John Battle (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 March 2000 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he made of the human rights record of the People's Republic of China before his Department became involved in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China; if he will make a statement about the role of his Department in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China.

Answer: Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he made of the human rights record of the People's Republic of China before his Department became involved in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China; [112800] (2) if he will make a statement about the role of his Department in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China. [112799] Mr. Battle: The promotion of human rights, including the principle of the rule of law, is an integral part of our relationship with China. We have a critical dialogue with the Chinese Government which enables us both to express our concern about their human rights record and work with them to improve Chinese practices in specific areas, particularly through training schemes and other cooperative projects. The need to ensure that respect for human rights is a central feature of police reform in China lay behind our positive response to the Chinese request for training in the UK for some senior police officers. The Scottish Police College training was funded in part by the FCO's ASSIST programme budget, and stresses the values of democratic policing and the application of human rights practices in police work.

Secondary information