Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday refuted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks about the visit by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to China.
Blinken issued a statement on May 28, saying that the United States is concerned about the conditions China imposed on Bachelet's visit to China and China's efforts to restrict and manipulate the visit.
Zhao told a daily press briefing that at the invitation of the Chinese government, Bachelet visited China from May 23 to 28.
"China believes that this visit has enhanced understanding and cooperation, and clarified misinformation. After meetings and talks, conversations and field trips in Guangzhou and Xinjiang, the High Commissioner had a deeper understanding and recognition of China's path for human rights development, and had first-hand experience of Xinjiang's reality with social security and stability, sound and sustained development and people's well-being," he added.
Noting all lies and rumors related to Xinjiang have fallen apart in front of facts and truth, Zhao said the U.S. side this time made up new lies that China has restricted and manipulated the visit.
"In fact, all the activities and arrangements of High Commissioner Bachelet during her stay in China were decided in accordance with her will and based on full consultation," Zhao said, adding Bachelet also said at the press conference that she had unsupervised and extensive meetings during the visit.
"Where is restriction and manipulation to speak of? Look no further than the United States to find the one trying to manipulate this visit," the spokesperson added.
Zhao said it is the one and the same United States that was most vocal about Bachelet's visit to China at first, imposed various kinds of conditions for the agreed visit, and ultimately attacked and slandered the visit after it was made.
"This once again proves that the United States does not care about human rights conditions whatsoever. What it really wants is to use human rights as a pretext to constantly denigrate China and hold it down," Zhao said, adding such hypocrisy and political scheme of the United States has long been seen through by the whole world.
By contrast, the human rights conditions in the United States are like "the emperor's new clothes", Zhao said.
He noted the recent mass shooting at a school in Texas is particularly heart-wrenching. "The right to life of ordinary people, including children and teenagers, cannot be guaranteed."
Zhao shared some figures. Since 2001, the United States waged wars or conducted military operations in about 80 countries in the name of counterterrorism, which killed more than 800,000 people including about 300,000 civilians. The United States set up black sites like the Guantanamo Bay prison across the world, where people are arbitrarily detained without trial for long periods of time and subject to torture and ill treatment. Racism in the United States is deeply entrenched and racial minorities like African Americans and Asian Americans have to live with systemic racism.
"Shutting eyes to grave human rights violations at home, what rights does the United States have to act like a patronizing judge and interfere in other countries' affairs?" Zhao said, adding China asks the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct investigations into and submit reports on U.S.' human rights problems.
