China tells Cook that UN is welcome to visit

China told Robin Cook yesterday that it would welcome a visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Teresa Poole in Peking considers the overture.

It was Qian Qichen, the Chinese foreign minister, who raised the subject of human rights during four hours of discussions and dinner with Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary. Eager to emphasise the "fresh start" to Sino- British relations, Mr Qian announced that the government "was ready to welcome a visit to China by Mary Robinson [the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights] at any time".

The choice of Mr Cook as the conduit for what Peking regards as a concession to international opinion underlines improved relations between Britain and China since the handover of Hong Kong last year. Yesterday it emerged that Tony Blair's visit to China is scheduled for September.

The invitation to Mrs Robinson contained no details of what access she would be granted, so there is no guarantee that China's conditions would prove acceptable. None the less, Mr Cook welcomed the offer. It was also agreed that the dialogue between the European Union and China on human rights would reconvene in Peking next month.

Mr Cook told Mr Qian he wanted Sino-British relations to proceed on a "wide road", a message he will reiterate in a meeting with President Jiang Zemin today. A United Kingdom spokesman said human rights was one element of a "four-part agenda", which included Hong Kong, international issues such as Iraq and the environment, and UK and EU relations with China, including trade.

Mr Cook's brief visit to Peking has coincided with that of William Cohen, the United States Defense Secretary, who yesterday became the first foreigner to tour a secret Chinese air defence command centre in Peking, which US officials said was a "breakthrough" in building trust between them.

However, Mr Cohen's underlying message in a speech at the Academy of Military Sciences was tough. He said China's willingness to co-operate with the US would largely determine the future of security in Asia. "We can work together ... or we can work against each other," Mr Cohen said. "The US will succeed on either path."