China blasts U.S. plan for human rights censure
A group of Christians hold a secret Bible study meeting
January 12, 2000
Web posted at: 11:46 p.m. HKT (1546 GMT)
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In this story:
Critics: China tightening grip on religious groups
Karmapa Lama flees China in frustration
Other attempts to censure China have failed
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From staff and wire reports
BEIJING (CNN) -- China on Wednesday slammed the U.S. campaign for a resolution criticizing Beijing's record on human rights at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in March.
"The Chinese government and people express their strong anger and resolute opposition to this," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao as saying.
"The Chinese government consistently respects the universal principles of the international community on human rights and, based on China's actual conditions, actively strives to promote and protect the people's human rights and basic freedoms," Zhu said.
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The United States on Tuesday said it was calling for the censure because of China's deteriorating performance on human rights, especially restrictions on freedom of speech, dissent and religion.
"The goal is to shine the international spotlight directly on China's human rights practices," U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters.
Rubin said that in addition to quashing political dissent, Beijing is vigorously suppressing the Falun Gong meditation movement and tightening controls on the media and the Internet. Beyond that, China strengthened controls on unregistered churches and on the political and religious expression of ethnic minorities, especially Tibetans, he said. (cont)
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