BEIJING (Reuters) — China has condemned as "entirely unacceptable" a British parliamentary report opposing Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics because of its human rights record.
The British parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee said after a visit to China that Beijing's human rights record had deteriorated badly over the past two years and the city should not be allowed to stage the Games.
But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue accused the committee Thursday of hypocrisy and of being out of touch with the feelings of ordinary Chinese.
"Actually, the Chinese people's current human rights situation is going through its best period in history," she told a news conference.
"The Chinese government and people support Beijing's bid to hold the 2008 Olympic Games."
The parliamentary report touched a raw nerve in China because many believe Britain and other Western countries led a coalition against China's bid for the 2000 Olympics, which was hosted by Sydney.
Many opposed Beijing in the 1993 vote because of the massacre of student-led demonstrators around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Beijing is now a strong contender to win the 2008 bid when the International Olympic Committee makes its decision next July.
But critics say the city must take drastic steps to clean up its heavily polluted environment and improve its human rights record.
Beijing's bid would help China to "make our contribution to the further progress of peace for the world and mankind," Zhang said.
"Any act of discrimination against or disruption of Beijing's Olympic bid is not in keeping with the Olympic spirit and will be ineffective."
Zhang said an official bilateral dialogue between China and Britain on human rights had achieved results.
But human rights groups say such bilateral dialogues are ineffective and only legitimise China's human rights practices.
Britain came under fire for being soft on China after London police suppressed protests by Tibet supporters and human rights activists during a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin last year.
The High Court ruled later that London police had acted unlawfully against demonstrators.