China tries to deflect U.S. criticism of human rights record

China rebuffed criticism of its human rights record today in anticipation of the United States’ designating it as one of the world’s worst spots for human trafficking. The U.S. State Department is expected to release later Tuesday a report on human trafficking that downgrades China to the lowest “Tier 3” category, which includes North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Syria. Tier 3 countries can be penalized with sanctions or barred from participating in U.S. cultural exchange programs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the results of the country’s anti–human trafficking efforts are “obvious for everyone to see” and “no country has the right to speak irresponsibly on China’s domestic affairs.”

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