US criticism on China's human rights 'groundless' By Liu Li (China Daily) Updated: 2006-03-11 06:51
Zhao Qizheng, vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 10th
CPPCC National Committee, said on Friday the US Government's criticism of
China's human rights record was groundless.
Speaking during a panel discussion of the ongoing annual session of the 10th
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC), he said: "Protection of the human rights of all Chinese citizens was
guaranteed by the Constitution. Progress has been continuously made in this
field."
Progress in protecting human rights in China was transparent and public,
according to Zhao, former minister of the State Council Information Office.
China has issued more than 20 white papers involving the development of its
human rights so far, according to Zhao.
Chinese residents are satisfied with the level of protection, as are most
foreign countries, he said.
The United States was not really concerned with human rights in China, but
aimed to exert political pressure on the nation, a comment from Singapore said.
On Wednesday, Washington released an annual report on human rights around the
world. It said China's human rights record "remained poor, and the government
continued to commit numerous and serious abuses."
In response, Beijing on Thursday released a white paper on the human rights
record of the US in 2005. In many languages, it argued that the United States'
racial discrimination remained pervasive and that the American military abused
prisoners held at detention centres abroad.
"Our white paper is well-grounded," Zhao said. All examples had English
attributions, according to Zhao.
"But the criticism of the US over China's human rights
is groundless, many facts were merely surmised or fabricated," he said.
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