China cites human rights progress in report

China on Monday touted "tremendous achievements" in human rights, citing legal improvements, poverty alleviation, freedom of speech and protection for minorities, even as campaign groups point to a tough crackdown on dissent and civil society.

"The tremendous achievements China has made in its human rights endeavors fully demonstrate that it is taking the correct path of human rights development that suits its national conditions," said the report.

"Progress in China's Human Rights in 2014" was issued by the State Council Information Office, a think tank under China's Cabinet. According to the official Xinhua news agency, the report has been released 12 times since 1991. It last came out in 2013.

The report said that legal and judicial reforms were proceeding and stated flatly that: "The rights of the accused, detainees and criminals are protected". It cited as an example the use of audio and video recordings of interrogations. HRW said in May, however, that such videos are prone to manipulation.

"Progress in China's Human Rights in 2014" relies on copious data to back up progress, such as citing as evidence of improved living standards a slew of figures including last year's annual economic growth of 7.4 percent -- though does not mention that it was the slowest rate of increase since 1990.

The report also cites the establishment of a "China Poverty Alleviation Day" in a section on reducing poverty, and included what it described as efforts to build "138 bridges to replace ropeways in seven provinces and regions" as progress.

Regarding freedom of speech, the report provided figures for the numbers of newspapers, magazine and books published, as well statistics for Internet and social media users.

In terms of minority rights, the report cited the numbers of places for religious worship in Tibet and figures for the number of Chinese Muslims who made the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia last year as examples of how the right to worship for minorities is guaranteed.