A DELEGATION of Chinese judiciary officials is in the United States to deflect Washington's criticism over China's exports of prison-labour goods to America.
The six-member delegation is believed to have explained to US officials efforts made by Beijing to control its forced-labour exports since the signing of a memorandum of understanding on prison-made products between the two countries last June.
According to US-based scholar Mr Harry Wu, who last year exposed China's vast ''gulag'' through articles and videos, the delegation will also visit San Diego to check on a consignment of diesel engines held by US Customs which US officials believed were made by Chinese prisoners.
Mr Wu who attended a human rights conference in Hongkong yesterday said since the memorandum was signed nine months ago, the US Government had made requests to inspect at least 15 Chinese prisons but was only allowed to visit one in Yunnan province.
He accused Beijing of keeping US officials from inspecting labour camps and re-education centres by arguing that products made by their inmates were not prison-made goods and therefore did not fall under the scope of the memorandum.
He believed US President Mr Bill Clinton was likely to make prison-made exports a condition in reviewing China's Most Favoured Nation trading status in June.
