China regrets US quitting UN rights council

BEIJING: China expressed regret on Wednesday over a US decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, with state media saying the image of the United States as a defender of rights was "on the verge of collapse".

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the decision to pull out of the council on Tuesday over what she said was chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform. Rights group have criticised the decision as sending a message that the United States was turning a blind eye to abuses across the world.

"China expresses regret at the US decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing. "China will continue, working with all sides, to make its contribution to the healthy development of human rights around the world via constructive dialogue and cooperation," he added.

Asked about US criticism of China´s rights record, Geng said the United States was ignoring the facts and that anyone who was without prejudice could see the enormous progress China had made on rights.

The official publication of China´s top anti-graft watchdog said in a commentary on Wednesday the US decision to leave the council "has put the American peoples´ boastful image of being a defender of human rights on the verge of collapse".

The separation of immigrant families on the US-Mexico border showed the hypocrisy of the United States and that it "cannot and should not" criticise other countries´ rights record, it said.