The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, said this morning she was deeply concerned about China's human rights record and urged it to embrace political reform.
During her seventh and final visit to China as UN human rights chief after five years in the office, Mrs Robinson said China had made progress on legal reform but the human rights situation remained worrying.
"I would say that the overall situation on human rights still gives cause for deep concern," Mrs Robinson told reporters after opening a workshop on judges and the judicial system.
In a country that arbitrarily detained people for labour unrest and doled out death sentences even for cases unrelated to violence, the government needed to loosen political controls to appease those challenged by wrenching economic changes, she said.
"The greatest need perhaps at the moment is for political and social reform that addresses some of the underlying problems that are giving rise to major unrest," she said without elaborating.
While recognising China's progress in its commitment to judicial reform during her tenure, Mrs Robinson said the Communist-ruled country was clamping down on freedom of expression.
She plans to meet vice-premier Mr Qian Qichen this morning evening and other Chinese officials during her visit.
AFP