China lodges representations to U.S. over visa curbs on officials

China has lodged solemn representations to the United States over its indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

As a countermeasure, China will, in accordance with the law, impose reciprocal visa restrictions on U.S. officials who concoct lies on human rights issues related to China, promote the introduction of sanctions against China and harm China's interests, Lin Jian told media at a regular press briefing.

Lin said the U.S. deliberately spreads false information, discredits China's human rights situation, imposes indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials, seriously interferes in China's internal affairs, and seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes this," he said.

Noting that the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously approved China's participation in the fourth round of Universal Periodic Review not long ago, Lin said the move fully demonstrates that the international community highly affirms China's achievements in human rights.

Lin said China urges the U.S. to effectively address its mountain of human rights problems instead of frequently using human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and wield the big stick of sanctions.

"The U.S. has no right or qualification to comment on the human rights situation in other countries and make irresponsible remarks," Lin said, adding that the international community has long seen clearly and resented the wanton manipulation of human rights by the United States.

If the U.S. really cares about human rights, it should abandon its "double standards" and look in the mirror at its own human rights misdeeds, Lin said.

(With input from Xinhua)