BEIJING
China’s foreign ministry rejected Thursday recent criticism from U.S. officials, warning that an attempt to discredit China would reveal American hypocrisy and double standards on human rights issues.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei’s call for an end to baseless accusations against China came after the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Ambassador to China Max Baucus issued statements Wednesday marking Human Rights Day.
In their statements, they referred to human rights cases across the world, including that of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese Nobel laureate imprisoned in 2009 on charges of "inciting subversion of state power." Kerry named Liu as a political prisoner who has made “peaceful efforts” struggling for freedom while Baucus called for his release.
"We hope the United States will put more effort into examining and improving its own human rights situation," Hong said Thursday, underlining racial discrimination and prisoner abuse.
Adding that the nationals of a country are those best qualified to speak on its situation, the spokesperson stressed the U.S. does not have the right to assume the role of a referee.
Hong also stated that China’s reform policies have led to a continual improvement in the country’s human rights situation.
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