The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture said Wednesday in Geneva that his visit to China has been postponed and China's requests for more time to prepare indicated the importance China attached to the visit.

The Special Rapporteur on torture of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Theo van Boven, said in a statement that his two-week visit to China, scheduled at the end of June, has now been postponed until sometime later this year.

The Chinese government made the request due to the need for further preparation for the visit, especially given the different authorities, departments, and provinces involved, he said.

The aims of a country visit are for the Special Rapporteur to assess first hand the situation in the country concerning torture, including institutional and legislative factors that contribute to such practices, and to make relevant recommendations.

To invite UN human rights experts to China is part of China's cooperation with international rights mechanisms. Since last September, China has sent invitations to three Special Rapporteurs as well as the high commissioner for human rights.

The Chinese government's efforts in protecting and improving human rights of its people, and its dialogue and exchange in human rights with other countries have won appreciation from the international community.