Chinese-owned NYC Building Denies Amnesty Lease

A giant shipping conglomerate owned by the Chinese government has declined to lease space in a building it owns in lower Manhattan to the US chapter of Amnesty International, an organisation that's been critical of China's human rights abuses.

Amnesty International USA told The New York Times that just as it was about to sign a lease last week for office space in Wall Street Plaza, the building's owner, Orient Overseas, said its new parent company, Cosco Shipping Holdings, put a stop to it.

The human right group said they were told they were "not the best tenant" for the 33-story tower on Pine Street.

The Times said Cosco did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Amnesty International has urged action against China's mass internment of ethnic minority Muslims.

In April, the rights organisation said that its Hong Kong office has been hit by a years-long cyberattack from hackers with known links to the mainland government. (AP)