Chinese law blocks entry of Aussie novelist: FM
- Source: Global Times
- [01:54 March 12 2010]
- Comments
Beijing's refusal to grant a visa to an HIV-positive Australian novelist was based on Chinese law, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
"The case was handled in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens, which bars the entry of HIV-positive foreigners," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in response to questions on the case. "We hope the Australian authorities and the novelist will be able to understand this."
"In China, AIDS sufferers and HIV-positive people are respected and their legitimate rights are protected," Qin said, in reference to the official policy on the disease in the country.
Australian novelist Robert Dessaix was refused permission by Chinese authorities to attend the International Literary Festival in Shanghai on health grounds, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Saturday.
The refusal has drawn protests from more than 90 Australian authors, who signed a letter Thursday calling the decision "an act of discrimination."
The Australian embassy in Beijing told the Global Times Thursday that the Australian government was "disappointed" by the decision.
"I am not a threat. I feel I've been spat on," Dessaix told The Age newspaper after the refusal. "I live in Australia and I can come home to a civilized place where people care."
Huang Jiefu, the deputy health minister, said at a press conference in November 2007 that China was working on an amendment to the entry and exit laws to remove the ban on the entry of HIV-positive foreigners.
"It is a complex process requiring time and effort, but it will be achieved," the Xinhua News Agency quoted Huang as saying.
The agency also cited analysts, who revealed that the current ban was set in the 1980s to prevent AIDS from entering China.
However, it has proved powerless in protecting public health and is seen as outdated compared to international standards, the agency added.
Agencies – Global Times
