China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that the Chinese government's "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2006" was "a mirror" for the U.S. to reflect on its own human rights practices.

Qin Gang said the U.S. government had no right to depict itself as a human rights watchdog and to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries on the pretext of human rights.

He said the U.S., which produced its own State Department human rights report on China, should read "Four Books and Five Classics", which refer to the nine classics of Confucianism.

"Confucius' book not only teach people how to conduct themselves, but also how to manage state affairs properly," Qin said.

The books outlined principles self-improvement, household management, government administration, and maintaining peace and order.

"Therefore, we suggest the U.S. to read the books and have a better understanding of Confucius," Qin said.

The Information Office of the State Council of China published "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2006" here on Thursday, responding to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006 released by the U.S. Department of State on March 6. The U.S. report criticizes China's human rights conditions.

Source: Xinhua