Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue expressed China's strong indignation at the human rights report published by the Human Rights Watch, saying it "has deliberately slandered and maliciously attacked the human rights situation in China by fabricating and distorting facts."

Zhang said the Chinese government has consistently stressed the promotion and protection of human rights and has taken steps forward in the field.

"The real intention of the report is to interfere in China's internal affairs and defame China under the pretext of the so-called 'human rights problem,"' said Zhang. "Their attempts have gone against the fundamental interests of China and the United States and their peoples and are doomed to failure."

Zhang commented on the current situation in Macao as the special administrative region gets ready to celebrate the first anniversary of the region's return to China.

According to Zhang, Macao's crime rate has obviously dropped and its economy has shown signs of recovery.

It is predicted that Macao's economy will achieve a four percent year-on-year increase this year, the first increase in four years.

Zhang pledged that the central government, which has given full respect to the autonomy of the Macao Special Administrative Region government, will continue to implement policies of "one country, two systems," "Macao people governing Macao" and a high degree of autonomy, and guarantee that the capitalist system and lifestyle will remain unchanged for the next 50 years.

Zhang turned to a mock trial held by a group of women who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese during World War II (1939-45).

The non-governmental Women's International War Crimes Tribunal Tuesday ruled that Japan's wartime emperor Hirohito and his government were guilty of crimes against humanity for overseeing the Imperial Army's "Comfort Women" system, where it is believed 400,000 Asian women, half of them from China, were forced into sex slavery during the War.

Zhang urged the Japanese government to seriously consider its wartime history and handle related issues properly.

"Recruiting `comfort women' is a serious crime that was committed by Japanese militarists during World War II," said Zhang. "The mock trial has fully demonstrated the strong indignation of the victims, the sympathetic people in Japan and the international community."

(China Daily 12/13/2000)