Human rights groups are pressing Miliband to highlight human rights, freedom of religion and the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region during his six-day visit to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chongqing and Beijing, which begins tomorrow.

 

Some politicians and activists have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in August to protest at China's human rights record or its stance on Darfur and Myanmar.

 

Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielberg withdrew earlier this month as an artistic adviser to the Beijing Games over China's policy on Darfur, where a five-year conflict has killed an estimated 200,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.

 

Beijing is a major investor in Sudan's oil industry and the largest supplier of weapons to the East African country.

 

"I do not support an Olympic boycott,"Miliband said on his blog.

 

I do support engagement with China on the need to work together internationally to nurture the potential gains of globalisation,"

 

Prince Charles, a longstanding supporter of Tibet, will also not attend the Games, although aides will not say why.

 

Beijing rejects attempts to use the Games to influence its policies.

 

Miliband said he wanted to discuss with Chinese officials "how they see political development and the place of individual political and civil rights within their system".

 

Noting China's President Hu Jintao mentioned "democracy" 62 times in his Communist Party Congress speech last October, Miliband said: "This is important and needs to be understood."

 

"From a British perspective democratic accountability and individual rights are a bulwark for stability in a political system, they provide vents for concern within the system rather than forcing people to turn outside it," he added.

 

Hu spoke in October of exploring ways to expand "intra-party democracy at the grassroots level". China's Communist Party has resisted calls for Western-style democracy.

 

Miliband said he wanted to discuss China's role in the world and its vision for development in Africa with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other officials.

 

Miliband's trip follows a visit to China last month by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

 

Britain wants to strengthen its ties with China, eyeing its potential as an economic superpower and its rising global influence.