Foreign Ministry: China's president to meet Prime Minister at APEC summit

BEIJING (AP) - An official with China's foreign ministry says President Hu Jintao will meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a coming economic summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Vietnam.

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Canadian officials have said China rejected a meeting between the two because of Canada's criticism of human rights in China, and because of the case of a Chinese-Canadian being held there. But Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a news conference Thursday that Hu would meet Harper, but that China rejects any criticism of its human rights situation.


Harper said before the meeting was confirmed that he wanted to raise human rights and the case of Huseyin Celil, a Chinese-Canadian being imprisoned by China for alleged terrorism links.


China does not recognize his Canadian citizenship and Ottawa has been aggressively lobbying for his release.


World leaders, including Hu, Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, will take part in the summit in Hanoi this weekend.


"We oppose any country making irresponsible remarks on the internal affairs of China," Jiang said.


"I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide, and we do that," Harper said. "But I don't think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values: our belief in democracy, freedom, human rights."


The Conservative government had strained relations with China since it took power in January. Canada has awarded honorary Canadian citizenship to Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and has publicly accused China of commercial espionage.


Ruling party lawmakers have also been vocal critics of religious persecution in China, particularly against members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.