Former envoy favours ‘subtle’ approach to Asia

Date: 14/03/02

By David Cronin

THE EU should take a 'more subtle approach' to Asian countries instead of haranguing them about human rights abuses, a former Singaporean diplomat has said.

Eric Teo claims the EU can 'cry till the cows come home with China but this will not have much effect'. He is urging Brussels not to berate Beijing publicly: 'I would say [to the EU] do not use the press, but use diplomacy.'

Now a leading figure with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Teo previously worked as an official with his country's foreign ministry for 11 years.

He visited the Belgian capital this week to address the European Institute for Asian Studies.

His comments came shortly after EU foreign ministers decided the Union would 'consider favourably' supporting a motion which criticises China at the forthcoming session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva (18 March-26 April).

A declaration agreed by the ministers on Monday (11 March) told Beijing it could not use the fight against terrorism as a pretext to deny religious and cultural rights in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Teo also said he wished to see Asia establishing the world's largest free trade area in about 10 years' time.

This would become possible when tariff barriers between China and the countries of south-east Asia start to be removed.

The EU should take a 'more subtle approach' to Asian countries instead of haranguing them about human rights abuses, former Singaporean diplomat Eric Teo has said.