Chinese embassy refutes British report on China's human rights situation

LONDON - The Chinese Embassy in Britain on Saturday deplored and opposed "irresponsible comments" on and "wanton accusations" against China's human rights situation in a 2021 report recently issued by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

In response to the report's groundless blame that the human rights situation in China continued to deteriorate, the embassy said, "China has always been committed to promoting and protecting the human rights and basic freedoms of its people, and has made great progress in the human rights cause, which is a fact acknowledged by anyone free of prejudice."

The embassy stressed that affairs related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet are all China's internal affairs, allowing no foreign interference.

Xinjiang is in the best period of development in history, with economic development, social stability, improved livelihoods, and ethnic unity, the embassy said, noting that the Chinese government's policy on Xinjiang has won the wholehearted support of the people of all ethnic groups.

Regarding Hong Kong, over the past 25 years since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong residents have enjoyed far more rights and freedoms in accordance with the law than they did during the British colonial rule, it said.

Referring to Tibet, the region's economy has maintained rapid growth and people's life has seen continuous improvement since the peaceful liberation of Tibet more than 70 years ago, the embassy said, adding that people of all ethnic groups enjoy freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law, and all their rights are fully protected.

China always welcomes media and journalists from other countries to report in China in accordance with the law and regulations, and the claim by the British side of China's restrictions on media freedom is entirely groundless, it said.

"We urge the UK side to rectify its hypocrisy on human rights issues, stop its practice of double standard, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs in whatever way," said the statement.