The Yukon government should denounce the violence between China and Tibet when making trade deals with China, says Yukon NDP Leader Todd Hardy.

Hardy's plea to Premier Dennis Fentie came as about 80 people rallied in Whitehorse Monday against China's recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet.

"I am disgusted, Mr. Speaker, that we as Yukon people and our government is willing to cut any trade deal just for profit," Hardy said during question period Monday.

Recent multimillion-dollar deals with China, mainly in the mining industry, give the Yukon enough clout to demand changes in how the Chinese government is handling unrest in Tibet, Hardy said.

The NDP leader learned last week that the Yukon government is planning a trade mission to China this fall.

"China wants many of the resources that Yukon has in abundance. They want our resources, the Yukon people's resources," Hardy said.

"Is the minister willing to do business with China at any cost? Or is he prepared to say that we need to see a marked improvement in China's human-rights record before we go much further in terms of encouraging trade deals?"

Fentie said he is sympathetic to the growing international concern over Tibet, but said it is up to Ottawa to make international political statements.

"Our national government, with support of all jurisdictions, [is] certainly making that well-known in the global community," Fentie said.

The premier added that it would be wrong to tie human-rights issues to economic development opportunities in China.

Tungsten deal signed last month

In March, Chinese metal producer Hunan Nonferrous Metals Corp. signed an agreement to acquire part of North American Tungsten Corp Ltd., which owns the Cantung and Mactung properties on the Yukon-N.W.T. border.

The $19.4 million financing agreement will give the Chinese company a 9.9 per cent equity stake in the Vancouver-based company.

The Yukon government took some credit for the deal, with Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon saying he brought Hunan executives to the territory last summer.

Such agreements were on the minds of protesters Monday, at a rally in support of the Tibetan people in Whitehorse.

"A deal has been made recently whereby China can access tungsten, Yukon tungsten," said Tory Russell, who attended the event. "And tungsten is a mineral that is used primarily in military applications."

Others at the rally suggested that Canada should boycott the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Organizers said another event is scheduled for April 18 in front of the Yukon legislative building.