Chinese leader Xi defends record to UN human rights chief

By KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping has defended China’s record to the top U.N. human rights official, criticizing countries that he said lecture others on human rights and politicize the issue. He told visiting U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet that China has embarked on a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its own national conditions. The two spoke by video phone. Bachelet is on a six-day visit to China that includes Xinjiang, a region where the Chinese government has been accused of human rights violations. Her trip has been criticized by the U.S. and others, who think that China will use it for propaganda purposes.