AP reports that in its annual human rights report, the U.S. State Department singles out China for criticism, though the country is no longer on the Top Ten list of offenders:
Tuesday’s report — which was obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its release — says China is still among the world’s human rights abusers despite rapid economic growth that has transformed large parts of Chinese society.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government says they are confident in their Olympics-hosting ability. From Xinhua:
In reply to a question on the impending Olympics, Qin said that the improvement of the capital’s environment not only served the needs of the Games, it also helped to carry out the scientific concept of development as well as to substantially improve the living standards of Beijing residents.
According to Qin, Beijing had spent 120 billion yuan (16.9 billion U.S. dollars) in improving air quality in recent years. The number of “blue sky” days, or days with fairly good air quality, increased to 246 last year from 100 in 1998.
Improving the living standards of Beijing residents apparently includes removing anyone who doesn’t make the city look so nice. AP reports on a new report from Chinese Human Rights Defenders:
Thousands of Chinese petitioners travel to Beijing each year to file complaints with the central authorities, as permitted by law, when they feel local authorities failed to respond properly to their concerns. Common complaints include illegal property seizures, police mistreatment, bullying and corruption.
“The Chinese government wants to erase the image of people protesting in front of government buildings, as it would ruin the meticulously cultivated impression of a contented, modern, prosperous China welcoming the world to the Olympics this summer,” the report said.
The Washington Post has also posted a briefing by the Council on Foreign Relations about the issues facing China as the Olympics approach.
