BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China urges Canada to reflect on its own situation and cease its interference in China's internal affairs, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, referring to recent Canadian sanctions on Chinese personnel.
Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on sanctions levied against certain Chinese individuals for alleged human rights violations that Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced on Tuesday.
"Without any factual basis, the Canadian government has made false allegations against China in the name of human rights and imposed illicit sanctions on Chinese personnel," Mao said.
She noted that this constitutes gross interference in China's internal affairs, and is a serious violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns Canada's actions, she said.
The Chinese government follows a people-centered development philosophy and attaches absolute importance to respecting and protecting human rights, Mao said. The fact is that China has achieved enormous progress in the field of human rights and made important contributions to the global human rights cause, and this is impossible to deny without bias, she stressed.
She indicated that Canada is facing its own list of human rights issues, and that its human rights record is far from spotless. Even today, Canada's indigenous population faces systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment.
"Instead of dealing with this, Canada has chosen to slander and vilify other countries, and is spreading lies about China's alleged human rights issues. This move is like a thief crying 'Stop, thief!' and will not convince the world," Mao said.
The facts have laid bare Canada's double standards and hypocrisy, she said. Canada is in no position to lecture others on human rights or point fingers at human rights situations in other countries, and it does not have any right to act as a judge and impose sanctions arbitrarily.
China strongly urges Canada to reflect on its own situation, cease interfering in China's internal affairs, stop undermining China's interests and image under the pretext of a human rights cause, end its crude political stunt, and lift its unlawful sanctions on relevant Chinese personnel immediately, Mao stressed.
"We will take all necessary measures to defend our sovereignty, security and development interests firmly," she said. ■