China (Human Rights) Debate

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Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

David Winnick

Main Page: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)

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Oral Answers to Questions

China (Human Rights)

David Winnick Excerpts

Business of the House
Thursday 22nd October 2015

(9 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Swire Portrait Mr Swire
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I subscribe to the words that

“persuasion and dialogue achieve more than confrontation and empty rhetoric.”

Those are not my words; they are the words of the Prime Minister—[Interruption.] Yes, the Prime Minister of the time—Tony Blair, in October 1998.

David Winnick Portrait Mr David Winnick (Walsall North) (Lab)
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While we of course have to trade with all kinds of countries, do we really have to grovel to every dictatorship going that treats human rights with such total contempt as China is doing?

Lord Swire Portrait Mr Swire
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I would only say to the hon. Gentleman that I agree with another statement:

“We will make our position clear as we always do, but the best way to do it is without grandstanding or hectoring”.

Those are the words of the Prime Minister—Tony Blair, back in 1998.

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