Another round of the China-Australia Human Rights Dialogue is being held in Beijing on Monday, which this year will focus on HIV/AIDS. 

The Australian delegation will visit central China's Hunan Province to look out how the country has been dealing with the epidemic.

They will also raise many other issues, including China's legal system, labor rights, women's rights, religious freedoms, Tibet and Xinjiang, and the treatment of political activists and Falun Gong cult members.

The Beijing meeting is expected to agree on a Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program. Under this, China and Australia will work together to make practical improvements on human rights.

The annual dialogue mechanism was initiated by the Australian government in 1997 to facilitate exchanges on human rights issues of mutual concern.

(CRI June 27, 2005)