China: Don't pressure us on human rights

MANILA, Philippines - China is “very well aware” of how it should improve its human rights record and doesn’t need to be pressured on the issue, its ambassador said yesterday.

“We have universal value and we have different priorities and we also have different roads in achieving these universal values, so we may differ with some countries in certain aspects of human rights and we may differ with them on priorities and focus… but China and the Chinese government and Chinese people are very well aware how we should do and what we should do to improve its human rights situation,” Ambassador Liu Jianchao said in a media forum.

Liu said China has very good dialogue over human rights with other countries.

“But we do not welcome the pressure or the other certain political priorities that will in no way help the issue concerning Liu Xiaobo and the Nobel Peace Prize,” Liu said, referring to the Nobel Peace prizewinner who was prevented recently from traveling to Oslo, Norway to receive his award.

“We’d like to continue our dialogue on human rights with other countries on the basis of equality and also of mutual accommodation,” Liu said.

“That means we can achieve understanding and I think part of the definition of democracy would be a country has the right to be different and a country has the right to make its own decision in accordance with the situation that is specific of that country, so this world will also be a dynamic world,” he said.

“It is not going to be one voice, it should be many voices,” he added.

Human rights watchdogs have accused China of pressuring some countries into abandoning support for 2010 Nobel Peace Laureate Liu.

The groups have expressed disappointment with the decision of the Philippines and 18 other countries to join China in boycotting the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremonies in Oslo. They said the 19 countries should have shown solidarity with Liu in the interest of freedom and democracy.

A survey by international democracy watchdog Freedom House has ranked China “Not Free in Freedom in the World 2010.” The same group considers China “Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2010.”

Beijing blasted accusers of its supposed poor human rights record, saying they have no right to interfere in China’s domestic affairs.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement released by the Chinese embassy in Manila said the Nobel committee awarded the peace prize to an imprisoned criminal convicted for breaking Chinese law.

The award, according to the statement, openly challenges China’s judicial system and flagrantly interferes in China’s internal affairs.

Beijing said the international community should not exercise double standard in judging human rights records, citing special laws in some countries – including the United States and Great Britain – that appear to restrict human rights.