London, March 8, 1995. China narrowly survived a UN attempt on Wednesday morning to criticise its human rights record, but only because of last minute Russian intervention. China won the debate at the UN Commission on Human Rights by one vote, with 20 countries voting to criticise China's human rights record and 21-including Russia- opposing the criticism. There were 12 abstentions. Late on Tuesday night Russia had voted against China in a procedural motion by Beijing to block all discussion of the human rights situation in China. The procedural move failed, believed to be the first time in the UN that governments have rejected a Chinese resolution. The most remarkable aspect of the vote at the Geneva meeting on Wednesday morning was not the Russian rescue effort but the fact that two African countries shifted against China overnight. Egypt and Ethiopia had both voted with China on the procedural motion, calling for a block on discussion, but voted against China on the substa

ntive resolution on China's human rights.