China mounted a stern defence of its much maligned human rights record today as the Beijing Olympics approaches, accusing Western countries of ignoring problems of their own and having double standards.
China is reguarly criticised by its own dissidents, foreign human rights groups like Amnesty International, and the United States and European Union for everything from the suppression of peaceful protests and freedom of speech to the death penalty.
Malaysia Olympic Council President Imran Jaafar at the start of the Malaysian leg of the Beijing Olympic Torch relay in Kuala Lumpur
But Luo Haocai, deputy head of a largely ceremonial top government advisory body and in charge of the government affiliated China Society for Human Rights Studies, said China had made "huge strides" in improving human rights.
"Chinese citizens' rights and political rights are fully guaranteed," he told a forum in Beijing, according to a transcript of his remarks carried on a government website. "Chinese people enjoy unprecedented freedom of every kind and basic human rights, including freedom of religious belief and the right to political assembly."
While Mr Luo did not directly mention recent unrest in Tibet, or problems in the mainly Muslim far western region of Xinjiang, he lauded government protection for the cultures, languages, religions and customs of minorities.
The problems he mentioned included the growing rural/urban divide and social security issues such as medical care, which Mr Luo added the government was committed to tackling.
"Yet some Western countries have double standards when it comes to human rights, constantly criticising China and other developing nations, turning a blind eye to their own human rights issues," he said. China insists that it has a different concept of human rights to the West, saying that the right to development, including being able to feed and shelter people, must come ahead of individual rights.
"Only if all of society advances can there be real individual rights," Mr Luo said. "The most important reason for China's national stability, social harmony and people's freedom is that China puts great store on guaranteeing individual rights as well as the rights of the group,."
Mr Luo also did not touch upon the anti-China protests which have dogged the global tour of the Olympic torch relay.
The torch is currently in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Malaysian police arrested three protesters this morning for waving a Tibetan flag as the Olympic torch procession began in the capital.