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SCMP Reporter

China may face a backlash over its lucrative landmine business as pressure for a worldwide ban intensifies ahead of a key meeting in Singapore this week.

  Foreign Minister Qian Qichen may be bracing for another round of battling with his European Union and Asian counterparts on the controversial landmine ban and human rights issues at the ministerial meeting on Friday.

  Mounting pressure is coming from various human rights agencies, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch, to place the anti-landmines appeal on the meeting agenda.

  'The Singapore meetings bring some of the strongest advocates of a global ban together with some of the world's major manufacturers of mines,' said Sidney Jones, executive director of Human Rights Watch/Asia.

  China is one of the key suppliers and manufacturers of landmines and firmly opposes any attempt to wipe out the weapons.

   It stated at a United Nations conference two years ago the developing world had a legitimate right to plant mines to defend itself against foreign aggressors.

 China, along with France, Britain and South Korea also failed to support a Canadian initiative to hold a conference in December this year on a treaty banning anti-personnel mines worldwide, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

  Some governments such as Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Austria and Belgium were said to have strongly supported the weapons ban, the group said.

  The human rights group is also finalising an appeal for EU ministers to put forward a resolution condemning China's human rights conditions at the United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva.

  'We think that the EU is wrong in trying to negotiate with China based upon the needs in trade rather than commitment on human rights issues,' said Lotte Leicht, the group's Brussels office director. 'We will release an appeal specifically focused on China, which includes a call for a human rights resolution from the EU to be discussed in the coming meeting.' 



Beijing fears backlash as pressure mounts for ban on landmines