China urges U.S. to earnestly promote, protect human rights

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday urged the United States to reject double standards on human rights and take concrete actions to promote and protect human rights.

"The United States should carefully listen to and take a close look at the criticism and suggestions of the international community on its human rights situation, reject the wrong practice of double standards, and take concrete actions to promote and protect human rights," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a daily press briefing.

Zhao was commenting on China's remarks concerning human rights situation in the United States at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Some in the United States have been acting as self-styled "judges of human rights" for too long, and for way too long, this self-anointed "beacon of human rights" has been casting the scrutinizing light on others while keeping itself from it, Zhao said.

"They have chosen to turn a blind eye to deep-seated domestic human rights issues."

He went on to point out that the phenomenon of racial discrimination and police violence is very serious in the United States, adding that ethnic minorities, Muslims, refugees and immigrants are threatened by discrimination and xenophobia, and the poisonous legacy of "white supremacy" still lingers.

Under the pretext of democracy and human rights, the United States has been practicing "interventionism", Zhao said, citing casualties and displacement due to the so-called anti-terrorism operations by the United States in 80-plus countries around the world.

The United States has also imposed unilateral sanctions on certain developing countries, leading to serious humanitarian crises, he added.

What's more, the United States should reflect on its history of genocide of native Indians, who were expelled and killed during the Westward Expansion, Zhao said.