China attaches great importance to the United Nations' periodic country review on human rights, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

"China has submitted the country report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and hopes to hold a constructive dialogue with member states of the UNHRC," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news briefing.

The United Nations opened its fourth session of the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva on Feb. 2. Over the next two weeks, that session will examine the human rights records of 16 countries, including Germany, Canada, China, Cuba, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

China "has always respected and protected human rights," said Jiang. "We will continue to promote and develop China's human rights activities."

She also said it was normal that each country had its own opinion on the human rights issue, adding that China has always advocated narrowing the differences through dialogue and exchange on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

"We hope that relevant organizations will take a fair and objective attitude toward China's human rights development," Jiang emphasized.

The UN periodic reviews were introduced in 2007, and each member state is reviewed every four years.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2009)