China Criticizes U.S. Human Rights Report

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese government on Tuesday
criticized the United States for double standards and interfering
in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan lambasted the 2001 global
human rights report issued by the U.S. State Department, pointing
out that the report is another manifestation of U.S. interference
in China's internal affairs.

At a regular press conference, Kong said the report fabricated
facts and confused truth and falsehood to attack China on its
legal system, ethnic policies and human rights conditions.

"The Chinese government and people are strongly indignant about
and are resolutely opposed to such a behavior," he said.

He said the Chinese government has been devoted to the
improvement and protection of human rights and basic freedoms, and
human rights conditions in China are now in the best period of
improvement than they have ever been.

Kong said the U.S. turns a blind eye to its own violations in
the field of human rights, which are widespread in the U.S., while
arbitrarily distorting human rights conditions in other countries.

"This is exactly intentional," the spokesman stressed, saying
that the U.S. has adopted double standards on human rights and
ethnic issues, which is sure to incur scorn and opposition from
people around the world who respect justice.

China demands the U.S. respect the basic guidelines in
international relations, correct its wrongdoings and stop its
interference in China's internal affairs at the pretext of human
rights, he added. Enditem
　