BEIJING: China has lodged representations to the United States over its visa restrictions on Chinese officials, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said.
Lin Jian told media at a regular press briefing, that China as a countermeasure will impose reciprocal visa restrictions on US officials who lie on human rights issues pertaining to China, promote the imposition of sanctions against China and harm the interests of Beijing.
Lin added the US deliberately spreads false information, imposes indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials, discredits China’s human rights situation, 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,” he said.
He said the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously approved China’s participation in the fourth round of Universal Periodic Review not long ago. Lin noted the move clearly demonstrates that the international community affirms the achievements of China in human rights.
Lin added that China urges the US to address its own human rights problems instead of frequently using human rights as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and wield the big stick of sanctions.
The spokesperson said the US has no right to comment on the human rights situation in other countries and make irresponsible statements, adding that the global community has long seen and resented the wanton manipulation of human rights by the United States.
If the US really cares about human rights, it should quit its double standards and look in the mirror at its own human rights problems.
