China's government yesterday applauded the defeat of a UN motion condemning its human rights record, and accused the US of hypocrisy and a "Cold War mentality."
The US attempt to win censure of Chinese human rights policies at the UN Human Rights Commission was "foiled once again," the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.
The resolution failed when member governments of the UN human rights watchdog passed a Chinese motion on Wednesday blocking consideration of the US proposal. It was the 10th time that China successfully lobbied against the censure motion.
The Chinese government expressed "admiration and thanks to all the countries which upheld justice and supported China in foiling an anti-China motion," Xinhua quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue (章啟月) as saying.
Zhang said China had made "great achievements" in human rights. She was quoted as saying the US motion was an "attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the human rights issue and to tarnish China's image in the world."
In Geneva, Chinese Ambassador Qiao Zonghuai (喬宗淮) said the US proposal contained "slanderous accusations." When the vote ended, supporting delegates applauded Qiao and congratulated him, some slapping him on the back.
China won support from India and Pakistan as well as several African countries for its motion to prevent debate on the censure resolution. The US was supported mainly by European nations and Japan.
The US-sponsored resolution cited Beijing's repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, its "increased restrictions" on Tibetans and "harsh sentencing" of government opponents.
It cited "continuing reports of failure to protect internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms in China."
Organizations working on behalf of Chinese dissidents expressed disappointment at the repeated defeat of the motion against Beijing.
"Once again, China abuses the human rights of its own citizens with complete impunity and in full view of the world community," Timothy Cooper, a representative of the China Democracy Party, said in a statement faxed to news organizations in Beijing.
Human rights groups contend that China's human rights environment has deteriorated over the past year.
As evidence of what they call China's failure to protect basic civil liberties, they point to recent detentions of foreign-based Chinese-born scholars, tighter regulation of online activity and official attempts to eliminate Falun Gong.
China argues that its citizens enjoy greater freedoms than ever before, but that the need for stability and economic development outweighs civil liberties such as freedom of speech and assembly.
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