China hit back at criticism of its human rights record yesterday, saying the report was hypocritical and UN calls to scrap labour camps were ignorant.
'China expresses strong dissatisfaction and strong opposition to the methods taken by the United States,' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
'We demand that the US abide by the basic norms of international relations, correct its wrongdoings and stop using so-called human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs,' Xinhua quoted Ms Zhang as saying.
'To make unwarranted remarks on other countries' internal affairs and willfully distort the situation in other countries is something entirely unacceptable to our side.'
Mainland media yesterday released a lengthy report headlined 'US Human Rights Record in 2000' attacking what it said were American rights abuses including ill-treatment of children and minorities, rising violence, widespread gender and racial discrimination and a widening gap between rich and poor.
'As many as 5,000 children are shot dead annually in the United States,' the mainland report declared.
