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Keira Lu Huang

Beijing on Monday hit back at US politicians and rights activists who denounced China's women's rights record, calling some remarks "groundless".
A Chinese newspaper compared the United States' presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to rival candidate Donald Trump after she sent out a tweet saying it was "shameless" for President Xi Jinping to preside over a UN conference on gender equality because of China's detention of women, including five who were held for 37 days this year over their plans to advocate against sexual harassment on public transport.
Clinton tweeted on Sunday: "Xi hosted a meeting on women's rights at the UN while persecuting feminists? Shameless."

The Communist Party-run Global Times said on Monday that Clinton's words were "vulgar, extremely lacking in manners" and called to mind "big mouth" Trump. It suggested she was "alarmed and jealous" at Trump's excellent showing in polls and so had resorted to using his style of language.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Xi Jinping's US state visit
Trump has accused China of stealing US jobs and called for a state dinner for Xi to be cancelled after a drop in China's stock markets and its currency devaluation led to a tumble in US stocks.
Rights advocates highlighted 20 cases of women unjustly detained around the world for their beliefs or defence of others' rights, including Chinese journalist Gao Yu, 71, who was in April jailed for seven years for providing state secrets to foreign contacts. They also pointed to Liu Xia, wife of jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who has been kept incommunicado since 2010.

Li Junhua, director general of the foreign ministry's international organisations and conferences department, said some criticisms were "groundless" and others, misinformed.
"I believe those in the best position to judge the state of women's issues in China are Chinese people, particularly Chinese women," Li said. "The women were arrested not because they were striking for women's rights but because they violated China's laws."
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China protected its people's rights in accordance with the law. "Someone … is biased on the relevant issue," Hong said in response to a question about Clinton's tweet. "We hope they will respect China's judicial sovereignty."
The conference over which Xi presided over was a follow-up to a 1995 UN gathering on gender equality in Beijing that Clinton addressed as first lady. She said then: "Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights."
READ MORE: China's biggest milestones in a murky relationship with the United Nations
On Sunday, Xi echoed her words, telling the conference: "Women's rights and interests are basic human rights. They must be protected by laws and regulations. As the Chinese people pursue a happy life, all Chinese women have the opportunity to excel in life and make their dreams come true."
Xi did not mention the Chinese women activists who were held, but announced a US$10 million donation to UN Women.
He said China would help developing countries run 100 "health projects" for women and children, finance 100 programmes to send poor girls to school, train 30,000 women from developing countries in China, and provide training opportunities for 100,000 women in other developing countries.
Xi wrapped up his tour to the UN yesterday after addressing the UN General Assembly and a peacekeeping summit.
Li said China had sent 30,000 people as part of 29 UN peacekeeping missions since 1989, in which 18 Chinese peacekeepers were killed.
At present, the country has 3,100 peacekeepers in 10 UN missions.
Additional reporting by Reuters and Associated Press
READ MORE: China's first lady Peng Liyuan impresses with fluent English speech at United Nations
 


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Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the UN General Assembly on Monday. Photo: AP

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Chinese journalist Gao Yu, 71, who was in April jailed for seven years for providing state secrets to foreign contacts. Photo: Edward Wong

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US presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton tweeted: 'Xi hosting a meeting on women’s rights at the UN while persecuting feminists? Shameless.' Photo: Reuters

An undated photo of Gao Yu in Hong Kong, 71, who was jailed in April for seven years for providing state secrets to foreign contacts. Photo: SCMP Pictures

An undated photo of Gao Yu in Hong Kong  71, who was jailed in April for seven years for providing state secrets to foreign contacts. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Liu Xia, with her husband, Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been under house arrest since 2010. Photo: Reuters

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China's President Xi Jinping addresses a meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. Photo: Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping is escorted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) after addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015. Photo: Reuters

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China's first lady Peng Liyuan delivers a speech in English at the Global Education First Initiative event. Photo: AP

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China's first lady Peng Liyuan smiles during the  Education First for Sustainable Development conference at the United Nations headquarters. Photo: AP

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Beijing says criticism of nation's women's rights record groundless, misinformed; Hillary Clinton's tweet slamming Xi aimed at raising her popularity in US presidential polls
