Steven Mann, Cape Town | Thursday 8.50am.
CHINESE President Jiang Zemin wraps up his controversial four-day state visit to South Africa with a tour of Robben Island on Thursday.
About 20 pro-Tibet supporters staged a placard protest against Chinese human rights abuses outside the entrance the his hotel when he arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday evening.
The visit has forged closer ties between the two countries, but failed to broach the subject of China’s shoddy human rights record.
Asked by reporters whether the issue had been raised in talks on Tuesday between Jiang and President Thabo Mbeki, the director general in China’s foreign ministry, Zhu Bangzao, said: ”Very explicitly, no.”
Zhu also defended the Chinese government’s crackdown on followers of the spritual Falungong movement, saying Beijing is protecting the rights of its people. ”This is an illegal organisation and an evil cult whose aim is to collect money and property and take people’s lives and destabilise society,” he said.
”If such an illegal and evil cult was tolerated in China, [the government would be ignoring] the human rights of the Chinese people,” Zhu added.
A pro-Tibetan demonstration similar to the one in Cape Town was held in Durban earlier this week.
Inside the hotel a smiling and apparently nonplussed Jiang was welcomed by flag-waving Chinese nationals and a group of dancers. Later Frene Ginwala, the speaker of Parliament, Education Minister Kader Asmal and Gerald Morkel, the Western Cape premier paid courtesy visits.
Jiang is to visit Robben Island, where former president Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. The island, now a museum, has become standard point of call for most visiting foreign dignitaries to South Africa.
A visit to Cape Point nature reserve has also been planned.