Grave concerns raised about China at UN rights council

More than 40 countries led by Canada yesterday voiced grave concerns at the UN Human Rights Council about China's actions in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet -- triggering a fierce backlash from Beijing. The widely anticipated joint statement had been in the pipeline for several days and was delivered on day two of the 47th session of the council in Geneva. China denies mistreating the. In a move that was bound to further enrage Beijing, which decries what it says is the interference by foreign powers in its internal affairs, the statement added the group's concerns over the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and the human rights situation in Tibet. The representative of Belarus read another joint statement on behalf of 64 countries, supporting China and stressing that Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet were Chinese internal affairs.