'West Lying About HK To Viciously Vilify China'

A Chinese diplomat has told the UN Human Rights Council that the West is fabricating lies about Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, as part of "vicious vilification of China".

Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN in Geneva, condemned Britain, the US, Canada, the European Union and others for their "groundless accusations" against China, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

"What they have done has only fully exposed the fact that, for them, human rights are nothing but a tool for political manipulation," Chen was quoted as saying.

Xinhua's report did not elaborate on the "lies" the various countries are accused of spreading.

Chen was also quoted as urging Western countries to focus on their own problems, such as police violence, social injustice, wealth disparity and racial discrimination, adding that they should close detention centres where people are subjected to inhumane treatment.

"China urges these countries to make real efforts to solve their own human rights problems, take part in international human rights dialogue and cooperation in a fair, objective and constructive manner, and stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs only to serve their own political agenda under the pretext of human rights," Xinhua quoted Chen as saying.