(Clearwisdom.net) On August 25, 2008, the Honorable Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia, wrote the following letter to Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Erping Zhang, expressing the Australian government's concern about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Minister Smith said: "We will continue to bring our concerns to the attention of the Chinese Government through our diplomatic channels in Canberra and Beijing."

The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra

25 August 2008

Dear Mr. Zhang

I would like to thank you for providing me a copy of the Falun Dafa Information Center Annual Journal "Compassion" at the Australian Institute of International Affairs on 7 August 2008.

The Australian Government has long held concerns about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. While the Government takes no position on the beliefs or practices of Falun Gong, it does consider that China's ban on Falun Gong, and the treatment of practitioners, breaches fundamental international human rights standards.

We have raised these concerns at the highest levels of the Chinese Government and in the context of our annual Human Rights Dialogue. We expect to engage China on these issues again at the next Dialogue in Australia later this year. Additionally, we will continue to bring our concerns to the attention of the Chinese Government through our diplomatic channels in Canberra and Beijing.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Smith