GENEVA, Mar 24, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) China vigorously rejected accusations of human rights violations presented by the United States to the UN Commission on Human Rights here Thursday.

"Today the US secretary of state Madame Albright has made some groundless charges and slanders against China's human rights situation," ambassador Qiao Zonghuai told the commission.

Earlier Madeleine Albright said she hoped to obtain a condemnation of Beijing's human rights situation.

"The Chinese delegation strongly opposes and rejects this," Qiao said, highlighting that China "has all along been committed to the promotion and protection of human rights".

((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)