(February 26, 2000)-- China is strongly displeased  with and firmly opposed to the United States' action of distorting other countries' human rights situation, said  Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao on February 26.

Zhu made the remarks in response to the U.S. State Department human rights report of the year 1999.

He said that the Chinese government has consistently respected  the universal principles on human rights and actively committed  itself to promoting and protecting the human rights and  fundamental freedom of the Chinese people in line with its
national conditions.

After long-term and unremitting efforts, Zhu said that the human rights and basic freedom enjoyed by the Chinese people have
been upgraded to an unprecedented historical level, adding that it is a fact known to all.

There exist serious human rights violations in the United  States, yet those human rights abuses still continue to  deteriorate, according to Zhu.

He said that the U.S. government pays no heed to its own human  rights violations, but always meddles with other countries'
internal affairs by issuing the so-called human rights reports and willfully distorts human rights situation in other countries.

He said that it is totally unreasonable and with ulterior  motives for the U.S. to do so, adding that it is also a typical
demonstration of double standards on human rights.

China hereby expresses its strong displeasure with and firm  opposition to such action of the U.S., said Zhu.

"It must be pointed out that the U.S., running counter to the historical trend, persists to lodge a draft resolution concerning
China at the United Nations conference on human rights in Geneva this year once again. It will end up in failure as always," Zhu
said.

The Chinese side urges the U.S. to observe the fundamental  principles in international relations, correct its erroneous
doings, and stop interfering in the domestic affairs of other  countries by utilizing the so-called human rights question, Zhu said.