Ratification and subsequent compliance with these documents would help safeguard against repression and human rights abuses in China. There has been some indication that the government is preparing to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, but that ratification would be accompanied by a significant reservation to article 8, which protects important labour rights. There is not yet any sign of plans to ratify the other Covenant. Prime Minister, make it clear to the Chinese government that Canada expects an end to repression in China. Death Penalty Another of our organization's serious concerns with respect to human rights in China is the widespread use of the death penalty.
China continues to execute individuals at a rate unsurpassed worldwide.
In fact, more people are executed yearly in China than in the rest of the world combined. Amnesty International is opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, as it is a violation of the right to life. We are particularly concerned that in China the death penalty is imposed for a wide range of criminal offences, including economic crimes, and after trials which frequently fall far below international standards for fair trial. It is also being used in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in political cases. This issue has become increasingly important in Canada's relationship with China as a number of individuals deported or facing deportation from Canada may face the death penalty.