Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday September 4 1996

By Mure Dickie

BEIJING, Sept 3 (Reuter) - China on Tuesday slammed Washington for pursuing a policy of "human rights diplomacy" that was sabotaging Sino-U.S. ties and cultivating mistrust.

The China Daily newspaper said there were currently no prospects of a breakthrough in long-running disputes over China's human rights record that were hampering relations.

"U.S. human rights diplomacy is sabotaging the foundation of normal cooperation between the two countries and is cultivating mistrust," the English-language newspaper said in a signed commentary.

"Such U.S. human rights diplomacy has impeded Sino-U.S. ties."

It said sensationalised human rights issues such as reports of repression in Tibet, the abuse of orphans and sales of organs from condemned prisoners had been used by Washington, which was following a policy of "containment" against Beijing.

"Out of self interest, the United States began to exploit human rights issues and contain China," it said. "To defile China, the United States has not stopped publicly attacking China's human rights record."

Washington rejects any suggestion it is pursuing a policy of containment of China, saying economic and political engagement with Beijing is the best way to push for protection of human rights.

Sino-U.S. differences over Beijing's treatment of political detainees and separatists in its restive Tibetan and northwestern Xinjiang regions have been overshadowed this year by disputes over trade, copyright piracy and Taiwan.

In June, the two sides narrowly averted a multi-billion dollar trade war over intellectual property theft in China.

Chinese missile tests off the coast of Beijing's arch-rival Taiwan in March prompted Washington to send two aircraft carrier battle groups to monitor the region.

Alleged sales of Chinese nuclear technology to Pakistan and Beijing's big trade surplus with the United States have also strained ties.

Both sides hailed a July visit to Beijing by U.S. national security adviser Anthony Lake as having warmed relations and increased mutual trust, but analysts say ties between the two Pacific powers are unlikely to remain smooth for long.

This year's U.S. presidential election would probably make the White House's policies toward China more ambiguous, the China Daily said.

"Sino-U.S. relations will likely be characterised by conjecture and sounding each other out -- encouraging distrust," it said.