Respect for each other the basis for rights talks

China has slammed bringing up human rights issues for political motives as “immoral,” asking the US to seriously and objectively respect China’s ways, which were chosen by its people.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang was commenting on US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad’s statement on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

The ambassador said he had witnessed China’s “tremendous progress in many areas,” while also making a groundless accusation concerning China’s human rights situation.

“It is impossible to accurately understand other countries while holding prejudice,” said Lu.

The US standard is a “one-size-fits-all,” which is blind, and such a standard has proved to be a failure in many parts of the world, he added.

During German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to China, some German reports said that the German leader touched on human rights issues when meeting with Chinese leaders.

Lu said China holds an open attitude toward exchanges and dialogue on human rights on the basis of mutual respect.

Lu noted that Sino-German exchanges and cooperation cover a wide range of fields, including human rights protection, immigrant issues, and challenges brought by digital development.

He said as China and Germany differ in history, culture, development and social systems, their views on some issues may not be exactly the same.

However, as long as the two sides insist on mutual respect and treat each other as equals, constructive talks and friendly exchanges can be carried out.