President Jiang Zemin is expected to announce the country's long-promised endorsement of a key United Nations human rights convention on his state visit to the United States next month.
The Foreign Ministry said yesterday the Government remained committed to signing the UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights within weeks, probably during Mr Jiang's seven-city US tour.
Mr Jiang publicly pledged to sign the covenant last April, but has not yet done so.
Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang said authorities would not agree to endorse a broader UN treaty on civil rights.
'We are positive towards both covenants,' Mr Shen said.
'We will work hard to sign the first covenant on cultural rights by the end of the year. We are giving active consideration to the second one.' The second treaty, the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, calls upon signatories to protect individuals' freedom of speech, religion and right of assembly.
