China hits back at US report
China hit back on Friday at the US State Department's annual survey of human rights, saying that only the Chinese people could pass judgement on what the Foreign Ministry said were the country's obvious achievements in the area.
Asked about criticism of China in the report, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei condemned it for being prejudiced.
Since the launch of landmark economic reforms more than three decades ago, Hong said: "China's human rights endeavours have made achievements that are plain for all the world to see. The Chinese people themselves have the most right to speak about China's human rights situation".
"In human rights, there is no such thing as the best; there is only doing even better," he added.
Human rights have long been a source of friction between China and the United States, especially since 1989 when the United States and other Western countries imposed sanctions on China after a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
China rejects criticism of its rights' record, saying providing food, clothing, housing and economic growth are far more relevant for developing countries like it, pointing to its success at lifting millions out of poverty.
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