BEIJING, (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron set out the benefits of multi-party democracy, the rule of law and a free media on Wednesday in comments that are likely to rile his hosts China.
Cameron, leading Britain’s biggest-ever trade delegation to China on his first visit as prime minister, had said on Tuesday that it was not his place to lecture or hector the Chinese leadership over its human rights record and one-party rule.
However, Cameron planned to use a speech to students at Peking University to talk up Western-style democracy.
According to advance excerpts of the speech, Cameron would reflect on Britain’s election in May which brought him to power at the head of a rare two-party coalition government.
Cameron said Britain had “two different political parties — the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats – with different histories and political philosophies, working together for the good of our country.”
He noted that he had to account for his actions on a weekly basis in prime minister’s questions in parliament, and that the government was always subject to the rule of law.
“These are constraints on the government, and at times they can be frustrating when the courts take a view with which the government differs,” the prime minister said.
“But ultimately we believe that they make our government better and our country stronger. “ He said free media was important despite the criticism and discomfort it sometimes brought the government. Cameron’s speech has echoes of one made a year ago by U.S President Barack Obama to an audience of students in Shanghai where he championed Internet freedom and human rights.
The prime minister met Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday and was scheduled to hold talks with President Hu Jintao this morning. His speech to students was his last engagement before heading to the G20 summit in South Korea.
Cameron said he wanted an open relationship with China, the world’s second largest economic power.
“I make these observations not because I believe that we have some moral superiority,” he said.
“Our own society is not perfect. There is still injustice which we must work hard to tackle. We are far from immune from poverty and the ills that afflict every nation on earth.”
Human rights advocates had accused Cameron of soft-pedalling political criticism of his hosts as he pursues a target of doubling trade with China to more than $100 billion by 2015.
