By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, April 15 (Reuter) - China scored a diplomatic triumph on Tuesday at the United Nations Human Rights Commission when it rallied strong support to sink a Western resolution criticising its rights record and treatment of Tibet.

It was the seventh year since 1990 that Western European countries and the United States had failed to achieve even a vote on the issue in the 53-member body despite heavy lobbying.

Wu Jianmen, head of China's delegation, said the result showed developing countries supported his ``no-action motion.'' Fewer Western states had co-sponsored Denmark's text, backed by United States, which showed a spirit of cooperation, Wu added.

John Shattuck, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State, put a brave face on the defeat: ``The most important thing here is not the win-loss vote, but rather the spotlight this Commission puts on human rights in countries all over the world.

``At this point it is premature to say what acts would be appropriate to advance human rights in China, but certainly the issue of human rights in China will remain a major topic of discussion in the Commission and outside the Commission,'' he told reporters after a sometimes acrimonious debate.

Wu, speaking to reporters, said: ``Most developing countries support China because they identify themselves with China.''

Noting that France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, Greece, Italy, Canada and Australia had ``stayed away'' from officially co-sponsporing the Western resolution, he added:

``This is a new development. It shows people want dialogue and cooperation and not confrontation.''

``I feel very satisfied because this is a victory of cooperation over confrontation,'' Wu added.

Delegates from Third World countries at the Commission erupted into applause when voting on China's ``no action'' motion produced a majority of 27 against 17 with nine countries, including Russia, abstaining. The debate lasted 90 minutes.

Earlier, Wu took the floor to denounce the Western text as a ``tool of power politics directed not only against China but also against developing countries.''

The outcome of the ``no action'' vote showed China garnering the same number of votes as last year. But voting against the procedural motion were only 17 countries whereas 20 opposed it in 1996. There were also three more abstentions.

China is the only country to table no-action motions to block all scrutiny -- a legal if controversial manoeuvre.

Henry Steel, Britain's chief delegate, argued during the debate that neither Chile, nor the former Soviet Union nor South Africa had attempted such tactics ``during the bad old days.''

But states including Pakistan said they rejected the West's ``doomed'' resolution and backed China's call to silence debate.

Human Rights Watch, a New York-based non-governmental organisation, said in a statement that the vote had ``raised serious questions about the ability of the Commission to address abuses in economically powerful countries.''

It expressed concern that China's ``successful muzzling'' of debate on the Danish-led resolution might kill future efforts.

But Human Rights in China, another New York-based group, said the Western resolution had highlihgted ``gross and systematic violations'' and produced ``constructive pressures.''

Despite international concern since the June 1989 Chinese crackdown in Tiananmen Square, China has emerged without being censured at the main U.N. human rights body. Only in 1995 did it lose a ``no-action motion'' but narrowly defeated a Western text.

Amid continuing reports of repression in China, concern over the world's most populous country has been greater than ever at the U.N. session in Geneva this year, due to the prospect of Hong Kong reverting to the mainland on June 30.

China gave Denmark and the Netherlands a diplomatic slap on the wrist on Tuesday by postponing official visits over their support for the Western resolution.

Denmark was obliged to step into the breach as sponsor of the motion on China after France and Germany backed away from supporting the traditional European Union resolution.