China lashes out at US human rights report
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-02 10:31

China on Tuesday condemned a US State Department report criticizing Beijing's human rights record, saying the review was a blow to relations between the two countries.

"We are very dissatisfied with this report and we protest this report," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. "The United States should stop using double standards on human rights and stop interfering in the internal politics of China under the pretext of human rights."

Liu Jianchao [file/newsphoto]

He added: "This kind of report will do nothing good for the improvement of bilateral relations. It will do no good to improve mutual confidence in each other."

The report, released Monday in Washington, said China continued to commit "numerous and serious abuses." 

The United States is likely to seek censure of China next month at the annual meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva — a routine move by Washington, although none of its proposals have been approved.

Liu defended China's record, saying that the protection of human rights had been written into the country's constitution last year.

"In the past years, China has made important progress in human rights, in political and legal areas," Liu said. "We are working to improve the human rights situation in China in more fields to build a society that is harmonious and united."

The Xinhua News Agency said the State Council, China's cabinet, will release its own assessment of the United States' human rights record on Thursday in a report that is "based on plenty of facts."

It will show "the bad records of the United States concerning the invasions into other countries and the mistreatment of foreign inmates, as well as the bad records in the aspects of life, freedom and personal security of U.S. citizens."

Liu urged dialogue between the United States and China to "narrow their differences."

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