The U.S. Department of State has recently released a report Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006 that says: "Despite expanding personal freedoms in some areas, China's government continued to suppress individuals and groups, including religious groups, it deemed threatening to Party authority."
Commenting on the report, Qin Gang said the authors of the report had completely ignored the real facts and launched "ungrounded attacks" on China's current human rights record.
"We categorically oppose these ungrounded attacks on the part of the United States," the Chinese diplomat said, adding that his country has greatly improved its human rights record over the past years, a fact that has been recognized by the world community.
"The U.S. has no right to position itself as a "human rights champion," and the world community has reached a consensus on this issue," Qin Gang said.
The Chinese diplomat urged the Washington administration "to stop interfering in internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of protection of human rights and eliminate obstacles that hinder a dialogue between the U.S. and other countries on the human rights issue."
