China media: US human rights

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Papers in China have raised questions over the US's human rights record in the wake of the unrest in Ferguson.

Crowds gathered in cities across the US this week to protest against a grand jury's decision on Monday not to charge white police officer Darren Wilson over the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

The family of Michael Brown said they were left "crushed" by the ruling, which has triggered nationwide debates over relations between black communities and law enforcement in the US.

The US and China have often traded accusations over human rights issues. Washington often criticises Beijing for its human rights record, while China says the US has its own set of human rights problems.

"There are probably few other countries in the world as self-righteous and complacent as the US when it comes to human rights issues, but the Ferguson tragedy is apparently a slap in the face," remarks an article in the Xinhua News Agency.

It adds that the death of the teenager should "serve as a stark reminder for Uncle Sam that there are a lot of human rights violations in its own soil, and it should first fix its own problems before criticising other countries".

The People's Daily highlights that racial problems are "polarising" the US society even though the country has an African-American president.

Echoing similar views, a commentary in the paper wonders why the governments of other countries "have never criticised the US over its shortcomings on racial discrimination issues".

"There are many unfair cases in the US over judicial and racial discrimination issues, and this shows that the country is very far from being perfect," notes the article.

The Global Times agrees, saying "the Ferguson riots show that the US is not the promised land", and adds that the country is "probably driven by more social problems than China".

The Chinese edition of the paper further points out that the unrest shows that the confidence of the US society over its political and economic systems is "shaking", and it is "no longer as confident in itself in the wake of China's rise".

Without making any direct reference to any social and political problems in China, the article blames the West for "supporting some factors" that cause political instability in the country.

"The Chinese political system is still at its infancy, we need more time to gain the confidence to deal with various issues," the editorial concludes.

Meanwhile, state media criticise Hong Kong protesters for "distorting the image" of the territory.

The China News Service says that the two-month protest has damaged Hong Kong's reputation as a "shopping paradise" and a "civilised society".

Another report praises the efficiency of the officers for clearing up some of the protest sites.

Pyongyang's 'isolation'

Turning to domestic news, papers blame "some countries" for showing "reluctance" in helping China track down corrupt officials who stash money abroad.

China has been trying to find corrupt officials who stash money abroad or leave the country after amassing illegal wealth.

Xu Hong, top official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a press conference on Wednesday that "some countries" are prejudiced against China and they refuse to extradite suspects, the China Daily reports.

The daily notes that the US and Canada, where many accused corrupt Chinese officials are allegedly hiding, have not signed extradition treaties with China.

The People's Daily also criticises "some countries" for holding prejudice towards China.

"Hunting down these corrupt officials is an important work in Beijing's fight against corruption. It affects the country's image, dignity of the law and also political stability as well as confidence of the people towards the party… so it has to succeed", notes the daily.

And finally, an article in the Chinese edition of the Global Times urges China "not to give up on North Korea".

Disagreeing with the views of "some analysts" who suggest that Beijing should "discard the disobedient Pyongyang", the article says that such a move might prompt North Korea "to embrace another country", or might lead to its further isolation causing it to become even more belligerent.

A UN human rights committee recently passed a resolution calling on the Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

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