Beijing Expresses Anger Over Pro-Tibet Protests During Jiang's State Visit

A state visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Britain has been marred by protests from pro-Tibet groups, prompting an angry response from the Chinese government. Zhu Bangzhao, Mr Jiang's spokesman, accused the protesters of espousing "the inglorious cause of imperialism and colonialism" and stated that most of the protesters were not Tibetan or Chinese but Europeans who had never been to Tibet. The protests have disrupted the visit, prompting the Chinese government to take strong action to limit the demonstrations.

Key Takeaways:

• The pro-Tibet protests during President Jiang's state visit to Britain have been widely criticized by the Chinese government, with Zhu Bangzhao accusing the protesters of spreading imperialist and colonialist ideologies.
• The protests have been led by the Free Tibet campaign, which has accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of failing to take a robust stance on Tibetan human rights issues.
• The Chinese government has taken strong action to limit the protests, with Zhu Bangzhao acknowledging that police had to intervene in some cases.
• The Free Tibet campaign has been invited to a meeting with the Metropolitan Police to discuss the handling of Mr Jiang's visit.
• The Labour Party has condemned the heavy-handed tactics used by the police to deal with the protesters.
• Prime Minister Blair discussed human rights with President Jiang during their 45-minute meeting at Downing Street, but declined to make a specific call for greater autonomy for Tibet.
• The prime minister stressed that Britain was the biggest European investor in China during the meeting.

Statistics:

• 30 guests, including Rupert Murdoch, attended a lunch at Downing Street following the talks between Prime Minister Blair and President Jiang.
• 45 minutes was the duration of the meeting between Prime Minister Blair and President Jiang at Downing Street.
• 10 minutes was the duration of the discussion between Prime Minister Blair and President Jiang on human rights.

Sources:

• "China 'assesses' Britain's human rights record" by Financial Times Limited, 1999.