BEIJING — China condemned America's human-rights record on Thursday, alluding to the White House campaign and suggesting that “money politics and family politics went from bad to worse.”
The broadside came amid heightening tensions in the South China Sea where the U.S. is conducting war games with the Philippines to counter China’s maritime claims.
China’s document was prepared by a Cabinet office and was released by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. It was a response to a global human-rights survey issued Wednesday by the State Department which criticized China and other countries.
The U.S. report cited China’s “particularly severe” crackdown on the legal community and “extralegal measures” of enforced disappearances and house arrest against government critics.
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“The United States made comments on the human-rights situation in many countries while being tight-lipped about its own terrible human-rights record and showing not a bit of intention to reflect on it,” Xinhua said. “Since the U.S. government refused to hold up a mirror to look at itself, it has to be done with other people’s help."
China alleged the “wanton infringement” of civil rights and “rampant gun-related crimes” in the United States, citing a toll of 13,136 killed and 26,493 injured by gun violence last year. Xinhua said 965 people had shot dead by U.S. police.
"The frequent occurrence of shooting incidents was the deepest impression left to the world concerning the United States in 2015," the news agency said.
It added that 560,000 people were homeless and said that 33 million Americans didn't have health insurance.
The report has tallied more than 6,000 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, allegedly causing “between 1,695 and 2,239” civilian deaths.
Xinhua's report attracted attention on China's Twitter-like Weibo social network.
"China and the U.S. quarrel about human rights every year which makes them look like little kids," one user wrote.
"If America has no human rights, why are rich Chinese going there?" another asked.
