The Chinese government has long maintained that it should be allowed to adopt its own approach to dealing with human rights. During a recent visit to Beijing, UN rights envoy Louise Arbour called attention to the serious human rights situation in China, and the need for improvements under international human rights standards.
There are at least three areas where the human rights situation in mainland China needs special attention: trafficking of women and children, freedom of religion and HIV/Aids. In China and other countries, millions of women and children continue to be smuggled across borders, ending up as beggars, doing forced labour or working as prostitutes.
Through a series of policies and regulations, Beijing sharply limits freedom of religious belief. Although Article 36 of the constitution says that all Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief, it only applies to the five religions officially recognised in China - Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestantism. Those outside state control become outlaws.
The situation is particularly serious in Tibet and Xinjiang . In Tibet, the Chinese government exerts strict control over the number of monasteries and monks, and pays informants to keep an eye on their activities. Rebellious monks are subjected to detention and torture. At the same time, Beijing claims the right to vet all reincarnations.
In July, the Chinese-appointed chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region stated that Beijing will choose the next Dalai Lama, a clear interference with Tibetan religious beliefs.
Although the United States has not condemned China's record at this year's annual session of the UN Human Rights Commission, it was nonetheless critical of the persecution of religious leaders and its continuing abuse of prisoners.
China's repressive policies are also evident in the case of the 8 million Muslim Uygur people in Xinjiang, who have fought relentlessly to protect their cultural identity despite the arrival of more than 1 million Han Chinese settlers in the past decade.