China has agreed to join the UN peacekeeping operation in Sudan at the request of the United Nations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Wednesday.

Liu said that China will dispatch military engineering, medical and transport teams, as well as military observers, civil policemen and political officials, to join the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan.

He said China has always supported the UN peacekeeping missions and will join the international community to help Sudan for its early realization of peace and stability.

The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1590 on March 25, authorizing the UN to deploy peacekeeping forces in Sudan.

The resolution will help Sudan's southern and northern sides to implement their peace agreement and facilitate the country's peace process. China welcomes the resolution and voted in favor of it, he said.

When asked to comment on a report issued by the US State Department on human rights records of 98 countries and regions for the period of 2004-2005, Liu said, "The United States should stop using human rights as an excuse to interfere into other countries' internal affairs and pay more attention to its own human rights problems."

He said the American side should change its wrong practice of confrontation on human rights issues.

"This report played the old tone of irresponsibly condemning the Chinese government and stigmatizing China's human rights records. We firmly oppose it," Liu said.

The Chinese government has stuck to the principle of governance for the people and achieved much progress in protecting human rights, expanding democracy and strengthening the rule of law, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2005)