The UN population agency China said Friday in Beijing that it is regretful that the United States withholds support for its population program by accusing the agency of supporting China's family planning programs.

Kelly Ryan, deputy assistant secretary with the US Bureau of population, Refugees and Migration on June 22 urged the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) executive board in New York to end its family planning program in China as the agency's continued funding for China's reproductive health program "gives it a U.N. seal of approval" to enforce "coercive" family planning.

Siri Tellier, UNFPA representative in China, said the agency "deeply regrets the withholding of US support", adding U.S. funding is urgently needed to prevent maternal and child deaths and prevent HIV/AIDS in programs all over the world.

US President George W. Bush's administration has barred all US funding for UNFPA for the last three years, accusing UNFPA of helping China practicing coercive abortion.

However, Siri said UNFPA executive board's 35 other member countries supported its China programs and the agency received increased contributions over the last three years from many countries, with 166 contributing in 2004.

She said that UNFPA works on the basis of international consensus such as the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action from 1994, which China has adopted and followed.

UNFPA's Fifth Country Program in China has successfully demonstrated that a client-oriented quality of care approach to reproductive health and family planning is a viable model, she said.

"We believe China has made great progress toward the principles of the ICPD, and we are pleased to be working in China at the invitation of the Chinese government to bring international experience and standards for use in the further development of the program."

The UNFPA is planning to vote on its China program in January and Siri said she is confident as they got a lot of support at the executive board to continue the China program.

She said UNFPA also noted that the US Congress has recommended funding of UNFPA for the last three years.

Source: Xinhua