Published by: World Tibet Network News Tuesday, September 30, 1997

BEIJING, September 30, 1997 (Reuter) China Tuesday criticized as U.S. meddling congressional bills that would boost funding for radio broadcasts to China and step up monitoring of human rights in the country.

"The original intention of setting up Radio Free Asia was to use freedom of speech as a reason, or excuse, to interfere in the internal politics of Asian countries,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai said.

Radio Free Asia has been championed by the U.S. government as a voice for democracy since it began broadcasting in 1996.

"Asia's freedom is fought out by the people of Asian countries and does not depend on any larger power,'' Cui told a regular news briefing.

The "Radio Free Asia Act of 1997,'' approved by a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Monday, would increase funding for Radio Free Asia and Voice of America broadcasts to China.

It would require the broadcasters to launch 24-hour services in Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese dialects, and Tibetan.

Cui said the Voice of America, the international service for the U.S. Information Agency, had good relations with China and hoped the broadcaster would report objectively.

The committee also approved the "Political Freedom in China Act of 1997'' aimed at tightening human rights monitoring.

Cui said that bill, which would authorise funds for more personnel at diplomatic missions, reflected double standards.

"There does not exist an international judge to say which country's human rights situation is better or worse,'' he said. "If some Americans are concerned about human rights, they should start with human rights issues in the United States.''

The bills must now pass the full House and Senate and be signed by the President.

Cui deflected a question about whether China would release veteran dissident Wei Jingsheng as a goodwill gesture ahead of President Jiang Zemin's visit to Washington next month for a summit with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

"China and the United States both believe that this visit not only should have important symbolic meaning, but should achieve actual results,'' Cui said.

Among areas to be covered were the economy, trade, environmental protection, energy, science and technology, global and regional security and the United Nations.