China firmly opposes and definitely does not accept the US-led criticism of China’s human rights record, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei, refuting the accusations from a couple of Western countries at a press conference on March 11.

The criticism, under an excuse of the human rights issue, not only severely interferes in China's domestic affairs and judicial sovereignty, but also breaches the rule of law, Hong said.

Recently, the US and 11 other Western countries issued a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council, expressing concerns about individual cases in China and criticizing China's human rights record. But the accusations were not supported by most countries, especially among developing countries.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach for the development of human rights, so every country is entitled to advance its human rights cause in light of its national conditions, realities and people's requirements,” the Spokesperson said.

Analysts stressed that the Western countries adopted a double standard in human rights issue by ignoring others’ progress while covering up their own deficits. They took their own interests and preference as the starting points when looking at human rights progress. The welfare agenda is therefore turned into a geopolitical tool. It goes against the actual concerns of many countries.

For example, the Western countries usually turned a blind eye to China’s progress in enhancing the rule of law, reducing poverty and eliminating education and medical inequality, but put more attention on appeals against the political system filed by a few “dissidents.” Moreover, they tend to ignore their own human rights problems.

The UN Human Rights Council, in an inspection last May, found that the US had taken few actions to address the issues that were pointed out in the last inspection. As a result, some problems are becoming even worse.

“The Chinese government attaches great importance to promoting and protecting human rights, integrates the universality of human rights with the realities of China, blazes a trail of human rights development with Chinese characteristics and has made notable progress.” Hong introduced the efforts that China has made.

It is necessary to enhance cooperation and coordination between countries on human rights, but some Western countries use the issue as an excuse to interfere in others’ domestic affairs. Such double standards and politicization will only intensify conflicts, analysts pointed out.

“Provoking confrontation at the Human Rights Council, the US and a few other countries gravely violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, aggravated confrontation and soured the atmosphere which went against all parties' interests,” said Hong.