Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao on January 13 urged the United States to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs on the pretext of human rights, and correct the erroneous decision to propose a resolution concerning China at the 56th meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Slamming the "double standard" on the human rights issue and the "politicization" of human rights, Zhu stressed that "fact has proven and will continue to prove that the United States will encounter another failure if it insists on doing so."

Zhu made the remarks in a regular news conference this afternoon when asked to comment on the saying that "it is crucial for the Clinton administration to propose the resolution to get the Congress grant China the Normal Trade Relations (NTR) status."

"These are absolutely two different things," Zhu said.

"China and the United States have reached an agreement on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), a win-win result achieved on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and mutual concession and understanding," said Zhu.

"It will accelerate China's pace in entering the WTO, promote overall development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and help improve and develop bilateral relations, " said Zhu.

"We have noticed that the Clinton administration has vowed to go all out to get the Congress to grant China NTR status, and some congressmen and people from the industrial and commercial circle have also shown their support," said Zhu, expressing the hope that the United States will take substantial moves to carry out its promise.

Summarizing China's attitude toward the human rights issue, Zhu said that the Chinese government always respects the general principles of the international community on human rights, and insists that each country is entitled to adopt effective measures to promote and protect human rights conditions according to its own practical situation.

It is normal that different countries have different views toward human rights, and take different approaches to protect human rights, considering the difference in their historical backgrounds, cultural conventions, and level of social and economic development, Zhu said.

Zhu stressed that China has consistently held that the differences between states on the issue of human rights should be addressed and settled through dialog on the basis of equality and mutual respect. (Xinhua)