China has, once again, foiled an anti-China attempt brewed by the United States when a "no-action " motion it tabled was passed by voting in Geneva Wednesday at the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

This is China's 11th victory over the US-led anti-China bid since 1990.

With 28 votes for, 16 against and 9 abstentions, the 53-member commission approved the Chinese motion, thus rejecting the US draft resolution against China before it was put to the vote.

Chinese ambassador refutes US accusation

In his statement before the vote, Chinese Ambassador Sha Zukang said that if the logic of the United States -- the human rights situation in China "worsened sharply" -- holds any truth, China would have already backslid to the primitive stage.

"Facts have shown that far from backsliding, the human rights situation in China has advanced significantly. Reacting from disappointment and jealousy, the US came up with this anti-China resolution," Sha told more than 500 participants at the meeting.

"The truth is that China is now under a new generation of leadership who is inspired by the ideal of building a people-centered government and is committed to do all it can in the interest of the people. Under this government, the Chinese people have successfully overcome the SARS epidemic and achieved an annual GDP growth rate of 9.1 percent," he said.

A recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report has acknowledged the enormous progress made by China in achieving the Millennium Goals and predicted that China could realize most of the goals in the Millennium Declaration by the year 2015, he said.

Ambassador Sha described the US claim that China lacks basic freedoms as pure distortion of facts and outright lying. "The truth is that the Chinese people enjoy freedoms of speech, assembly, association, religion and belief that are guaranteed by law," he said.

"It is particularly noteworthy that last March the National People's Congress incorporated the concept of 'the state respects and protects human rights' into the Chinese Constitution, thus marking an important milestone in China's cause for promoting and protecting human rights," he added.

He briefed the session on China's cooperation with international human rights mechanism as well as human rights exchanges and dialogues between China and more than a dozen countries.

Since the US has repeatedly refused visits by Special Rapporteur on torture and other special mechanisms of the Human Rights Commission, Sha said: "The US has no qualification to find fault with China and nitpick China's human rights situation."

Although the United States claims that the resolution this year is very mildly-worded, Ambassador Sha said: "It is only obvious that the US resolution is nothing but a sugar-coated bullet. And even masquerading as a mild resolution, its true purpose of obstinately interfering in the affairs of other countries in order to serve its domestic interests cannot be concealed."

"Appointing itself as a 'human rights defender,' the US picks on the human rights situations of other countries at will, but says nothing about its own disastrous human rights records. I cannot imagine how such a grand superpower could be so cowardly," he said.

Sha reiterated that China welcomes well-intentioned criticisms and suggestions from other countries, but the US anti-China resolution is "for the sole purpose of serving the interests of its domestic presidential election, rather than that of genuine concern for human rights."

Int'l community praises China's achievements

Pakistani representative Shaukat Umer said the US-brewed draft resolution put in jeopardy the United Nations' objective of cooperation among nations.

"In China, people enjoyed all rights, and the Government had been committed to the respect of human rights for years," he said.

"At present, China was one of the leading economies of the world. Its Gross National Product (GDP) had tremendously grown; itexceeded even those of some developed nations. The efforts of China had liberated its people from the shackles of poverty. China's development record was a matter of pride for all," he added.

Russian representative Leonid Skotnikov said China had set an impressive example across the board for the entire world, including in the sphere of the protection of human rights.

"Nothing but astonishment could be expressed at the tabling of this draft resolution. China had proved its openness to cooperation and did not need any prompting from anybody," he said.

Ivan Mora Godoy, the Cuban representative, said: "The soap opera of the draft resolution on China that had been followed for a number of years was one of low quality."

"The exercise represented manipulation and attempts to bring pressure to bear on China. It sought to interfere in China's domestic affairs. This was a major problem of this infantilism -- it was like big boys who went around picking fights," he said.

"All should really learn from China. There should not be blindness to the situation. China was not so small. It was a big country in terms of will, people, and ability to grow," he added.

The representative of Indonesia said Indonesia strongly believed that genuine efforts to promote and protect human rights should be based on a spirit of cooperation.

"The progress made in China in respect of economic, social and cultural rights made clear the country's commitment to human rights. China did not deserve to be targeted in such a manner," hesaid.

The representatives of Sudan, Congo, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Mauritania also spoke at the meeting, stressing the great achievements China has made on human rights and opposing the US anti-China draft resolution.

Chronology of defeats of anti-China human rights attempts

March 6, 1990: At its 46th session, the commission turned down a resolution proposed by the United States and some other Western countries by a vote of 17-15 with 11 abstentions.

March 4, 1992: The commission adopted at the 48th session a "no-action" motion tabled by Pakistan by a vote of 27-15 with 11 abstentions, deciding not to take action on the "China/Tibet situation" resolution cooked up by a few Western countries.

March 10, 1993: At its 49th session, the commission, by a vote of 22-17 with 12 abstentions, decided not to consider a resolutionon the "the human rights situation in China" put forward by the United States and several other Western countries.

March 9, 1994: The commission at its 50th session adopted a "no-action" motion put forward by China and decided not to discuss theresolution on the "human rights situation in China" proposed by a few Western nations. Twenty countries voted in favor of China's motion, 16 against and 17 abstained.

March 8, 1995: A resolution on the "human rights situation in China" tabled by the United States and the European Union was turned down by the UNCHR at its 51st session with a vote of 21 against, 20 in favor and 12 abstentions.

April 23, 1996: At its 52nd session, the commission dismissed the resolution on "the human rights situation in China" advanced by the European Union and seconded by the United States, with a vote of 27-20 with six abstentions.

April 15, 1997: The 53rd session of the commission decided not to consider the resolution on "the human rights situation in China" put forth by the United States, Denmark and some other Western countries, by a vote of 27-17 with nine abstentions.

April 23, 1999: The commission adopted a "no-action" motion at its 55th session put forward by China, by a vote of 22-17 with 14 abstentions, throwing away a resolution on "the human rights situation in China" tabled by the United States.

April 18, 2000: The anti-China attempt by the United States wasfoiled as the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Commission adopted a "no-action" motion proposed by China. The vote was 22 infavor, 18 against and 12 abstentions.

April 18, 2001: With 23 votes for, 17 against and 12 abstentions, the commission's 57th session voted in favor of the Chinese "no-action" motion and thus rejected the US draft resolution against China before it was put to the vote.

Source: Xinhua