China 'pressure' likely on diplomatJune 06, 2005From: AAP...

China 'pressure' likely on diplomat
June 06, 2005
From: AAP


AUSTRALIA would face heavy political and economic pressure from China not to grant asylum to a diplomat who has fled his post, an academic said today.
Australian National University's Professor Hugh White said growing trade relations with China were likely to weigh on the Federal Government's mind in deciding the status of former Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin.

Mr Chen abandoned his post at the Chinese consulate-general in Sydney 11 days ago, saying he feared persecution if he returned to China because of his democratic beliefs.

The Immigration Department is assessing his application for a protection visa.

Prof White said the situation puts the Government in a tough diplomatic position.

"Obviously the concerns in the Australian community about the human rights of this individual are significant and valid," Prof White told ABC Radio.

"On the other hand China will want this guy back and would tend to view a decision by this government to grant him political asylum or even refugee status ... as a fairly adversarial thing to do.

"And I think that would be something that the Chinese would register and the Chinese system doesn't forgive those things lightly."

Prof White said the pressure would be even greater if Mr Chen had access to secret Chinese government documents.

"The Chinese Government will want to make sure that classified information isn't passed on," he said.

"Actually, in a similar situation Australian governments would take the same view."

Prof White said China has spent the past few years seeking to build political and security conditions into its economic and trade relationship with Australia.

"China has made it clear consistently that the development of an economic relationship is dependent on Australia being sympathetic to China's concerns on political and security issues," Prof White said.

He said Australia had made progress on meeting China's concerns but a decision in favour of Mr Chen could be a backward step.

"It wouldn't be enough by itself to throw the developing economic relationship into reverse but it would certainly be a step in the wrong direction and something the Chinese would put on the negative side of the ledger," he said.

But Prof White said the United States would take a dim view of Australia rejecting Mr Chen's application.

"There is a certain sense in the United States that Australia has become a bit soft on China in the last few years in pursuit of our trade and economic agenda," he said.

"I think it's going to be very hard for the Government to come out with an answer on this one which is going to satisfy everybody."