BEIJING, April 19 (Reuters) - A triumphant China expressed "admiration and thanks" on Thursday to nations that helped block a resolution censuring it at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights and took a swipe at the United States for proposing the move.
China used a controversial "no action" motion to block the resolution at the rights meet in Geneva on Wednesday -- as it has almost every year since its troops killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
"The Chinese government wishes to express admiration and thanks to all the countries which upheld justice and supported China," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue as saying.
"Although the United States canvassed for support here and there by cajoling or coercing, it had found no country to co-sponsor the anti-China motion," Zhang said.
"Once again the United States fell into a predicament of self-isolation and its failure has long been expected."
The 53-nation annual gathering in Geneva approved Beijing's "no action" motion by a vote of 23 in favour, 17 against and 12 abstentions. One delegation was absent. Asian countries including Pakistan rallied to China's side.
The outcome, though no surprise, was a crucial boost to China as it confronts the United States over a number of sensitive issues, including a collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter, and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
Criticism of China's human rights record, especially a crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement, also threatens to derail Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics ahead of the International Olympic Committee's July vote on the host city.
U.S. SAYS UNFORTUNATE
The United States said it was unfortunate the resolution was shelved, but believed Washington had made its point.
"We think it's unfortunate that more members of the Human Rights Commission didn't choose to take up the China resolution at the commission this year," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a news conference.
Zhang accused Washington of being driven by domestic politics to interfere in China's internal affairs and "tarnish China's image in the world."
"Once more facts have shown that the attempt to exert political pressure on other countries under the pretext of the human right issue to pursue hegemonism and power politics is against people's will and will go nowhere," Zhang said.
A commentary in the People's Daily, the main Communist Party newspaper, urged the United States to deal with its own human rights problems before criticising others.
The English-language China Daily drew attention in an editorial to recent race riots in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"Ridiculous and hypocritical as it is, the United States, unable to cope with its own human rights abuses, blatantly applies a double standard in its accusations of human rights violations by others," it said.
A cartoon in the paper showed Uncle Sam sitting on a black man while scrutinising Asia through a magnifying glass.
CHINA SAYS READY TO COOPERATE
Boucher said the U.S. goal was to encourage China to adhere to international standards of human rights and focus international attention to what he called the worsening human rights situation in China in the past year.
Zhang said China was ready to work with others to continue to promote human rights through dialogue.
"We would advise the U.S. side to change its practice, realise its errors and mend its way, and return to the right track of dialogue as soon as possible," she said.
The Chinese government was dedicated to "promoting and protecting the human rights and basic freedom of the Chinese people in accordance with the actual national conditions," she said.
Critics accuse China of widespread human rights abuses, especially against its Tibetan minority, worshippers at underground Christian churches and followers of Falun Gong.
China calls the banned spiritual group an "evil cult" which brainwashes and cheats, but rights groups accuse Beijing of conducting a campaign of repression, including detentions and beatings, against its members.
Falun Gong practitioners, who say some 190 adherents have died in police custody, held protests on Wednesday around the U.N. building in Geneva, where the forum is holding its annual six-week session until April 27.
The Chinese government says that a handful of Falun Gong adherents have died in custody, but that they either committed suicide or died of natural causes.
01:28 04-19-01
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