Critics: Blair soft on human rights in China

HONG KONG (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair's cordial relationship with China prompted questions this week about whether Britain is compromising its stand against human rights violations in favor of economic ties.

"Of course, we know this British government has adopted a so-called ethical foreign policy," Hong Kong politician and democracy advocate Martin Lee said Friday.

"I'm afraid, as a result of this visit of the prime minister to China, it looks like an economic foreign policy to me. It seems to me this is a visit with trade and commerce in mind and practically nothing else."

At a news conference, Blair called Lee's criticism "simply wrong" and accused him of ignoring a human rights speech he made in Beijing.

Blair and wife Cherie returned to London Saturday after spending five days in China visiting Beijing, Shanghai and the former British colony of Hong Kong. It was the first trip to China by a British prime minister in seven years.

Just before leaving, the Blairs toured the 64-year-old Chi Lin nunnery and watched a group of retirees practicing tai chi, a traditional Chinese exercise routine.

Blair smiled and posed for photos hand-in-hand with Chinese leaders throughout the trip.

But the happy faces and friendly handshakes irked some members of the Hong Kong legislature, who said Blair soft-pedaled the issue of human rights abuses in China.

"The kind of message he delivered is not strong enough," said legislator Yeung Sum of the major opposition Democratic Party.

Blair has described China's leadership -- specifically President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji -- as liberalizing reformers. During a speech in Beijing, he urged the pair to expand freedom and allow dissent.

Still, Hong Kong's democracy advocates said a gentle approach on human rights in favor of economic ties sends the "wrong message."

Visit "a great success"?

Other Hong Kong politicians said they favor Blair's amicable relations with China.

"I am happy that the visit has been such a great success, doing so much to create a relationship of friends who talk to each other, rather than of people who talk past each other, said Hong Kong Chief Executive Tun Chee-hwa, who was appointed by Beijing officials.

Hong Kong officials met with Blair behind closed doors this week. Topics discussed included human rights in China and the pace of democracy in Hong Kong.

After the briefing, independent legislator Margaret Lee said she had reservations about Blair's subdued approach in raising sticky issues with Chinese leaders about political dissent and human rights in favor of wider trade and investment ties with Beijing.

"If going softly means resorting to euphemism and avoiding sharp issues then I'm not in favor of it," she said.

Blair shrugged off such criticism.

"If people want me to say that I want to wreck Britain's relations with China, well, I'm not in for that I'm afraid," he said.

Local newspapers supportive

Area newspapers expressed support for Blair's diplomacy.

"Britain's influence in Hong Kong has waned, but Blair's encouraging remarks are still worth listening to," said the Chinese-language Apple Daily on Saturday.

The Chinese-language Oriental Daily said cooperation with the mainland was "more intelligent" than the headstrong approach taken by Hong Kong's last British governor, Chris Patten.

Sino-British relations prior to Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China 15 months ago were marked by pointed exchanges between Patten and Beijing on a wide range of issues, including wider freedoms and civil liberties for the people of Hong Kong.

In an editorial, The South China Morning Post said, "It was almost possible to forget the long years that Beijing and London spent locked in battles of the handover."

Britain and China had announced a "comprehensive partnership" at the outset of Blair's visit to the mainland.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.