China urges US to solve domestic human rights issues and cease interference in other countries

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to effectively address its mountain of human rights problems, instead of frequently using human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries internal affairs and wield the big stick of sanctions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to U.S. indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials.

Lin said that the United States deliberately spreads false information, discredits China's human rights situation, imposes indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials, seriously interferes in China's internal affairs, and seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes this, and has made solemn representations to the United States," Lin said.

As a countermeasure, China will, in accordance with the law, impose reciprocal visa restrictions on U.S. officials who concoct lies on human rights issues related to China, promote the introduction of sanctions against China and harm China's interests, he added.

Noting the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council unanimously approved China's participation in the fourth round of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) not long ago, Lin said this fully demonstrates that the international community highly affirms China's achievements in human rights.

"The United States has no right or qualification to comment on the human rights situation in other countries and make irresponsible remarks," Lin said, adding that the international community has long seen clearly and resented the wanton manipulation of human rights by the United States.

If the United States really cares about human rights, it should abandon the "double standards", and look in the mirror at its own human rights misdeeds, Lin said.