China and human rights

By Alex Singleton | 8 November 2005

China's President Hu Jintao is in London today to meet Tony Blair. Some have been calling for Tony Blair to push a pro-human rights agenda. They're right: part of the advantage of reliance on world trade is it increases international influence to clean up human rights.

But China's human rights record is no reason to boycott Chinese goods or try and restrict trade with that country. Indeed, one of the most effective ways that Blair can promote human rights is to promote greater trade and economic development with China. The effect of such economic benefits will be to build up a middle-class and a powerful body of public opinion towards better recognition of rights.