KEY POINTS:
The Government is poised to announce an important diplomatic achievement: New Zealand will be the first country to conclude a free trade agreement with China. The deal has taken years of negotiation, as these things usually do, and required the attention at times of the heads of both
Governments. No wonder ours was not in a hurry to join the chorus of condemnation of China's latest crackdown on Tibet.
But its reluctance can be forgiven only at this sensitive moment. Once the agreement is signed and in force, it must not discourage New Zealand Governments from speaking out against political repression by their trade partner. Calling on "all sides to exercise restraint", as the Prime Minister did on Tibet at the weekend, will not do.
A trade pact that cannot survive political disagreement is probably not worth the trouble. If the deal holds such little economic attraction for the Chinese that they would abandon it over criticism of their country's civil and political rights, its commercial benefits to them must be negligible.
The worry with this deal all along has been that China is seeking political rather than economic gain. As the first deal done with a Western democracy, it could make it more difficult for others to negotiate stronger terms of engagement with that runaway economy. Our negotiators ought to have left no doubt on the Chinese side that this country reserves the right to criticise the one-party state when people's political rights are at stake.
Tensions over Tibet could have been foreseen in the year of Beijing's Olympic Games. It would be remarkable if unwelcome aspirations in Taiwan and even Hong Kong did not surface more strongly this year. The Chinese leadership might never be more anxious to present a liberal face to the world.
Tibetans, as evident again in recent days, have a yearning for independence that has survived 58 years of Chinese control. China, however, believes the high plateau to have been a part of its domain for centuries and history does not offer a clear verdict.
The Buddhist theocracy that Tibetans want to restore was set up by Mongolian invaders in the 13th century and despite the absolute power of Dalai Lamas, the place was often governed by agents of China. During the first half of last century, Tibet enjoyed a long period of independence that ended with its incorporation into the newly communist Chinese state in 1950.
The present Dalai Lama ruled in conjunction with Chinese officials until 1959, when he and 50,000 supporters fled after an abortive revolt. From exile, his supporters have maintained constant pressure for independence and the events of the weekend are the latest manifestation of similar sentiment among Tibetans at home.
Since 1959 China has built roads, hospitals, schools, factories, airports and tourist facilities in what had been - and for most Tibetans remains - a desperately poor place. Today, Beijing shows no inclination to allow more than the limited self-government permitted ethnic minorities in regions where they predominate. The Chinese Army polices the region and its response to the unrest can only be guessed.
The United States and Australian Governments immediately called for China to allow free expression and peaceful protest. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, urged restraint by demonstrators and security forces and for individual rights to be respected. New Zealand carefully avoided blame and said its Government was seeking more information.
That might be sufficient for now, but not if the deal is done and our new partner remains deservedly a political pariah.
