The United States is leaning strongly toward seeking a U.N. resolution condemning China's human rights record but is still trying to wrest concessions from Beijing, a U.S. official said on Friday.
Washington last month criticized China for what it called "backsliding" on rights and officials from Secretary of State Colin Powell down have said they are leaning toward supporting a critical resolution at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, which starts on Monday.
Powell spoke yesterday to Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing to discuss China's record after the United States last month sharply criticized Beijing's record in its annual survey of human rights around the world.
"The Chinese know the direction that this is heading and we have talked to them frankly," a senior State Department official said about the call.
Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said it was his understanding that the United States was all but certain to go forward with a resolution but said he did not know whether a final decision has been made.
"We have indeed heard that that is the decision the administration has made - to go forward with the China resolution,"
Malinowski said. A U.S. official who asked not to be named said the Bush administration was trying to use the last few days before it would have to submit a resolution to see if it could obtain any concessions from the Chinese.
"There are still a few days before the final deadline and (we are) still working it," said the official. "We are very strongly leaning toward a resolution but we are still talking to the Chinese about their record and the kinds of things we would expect of them and we will make the final decision once we know exactly what they are doing and prepared to do," said another U.S. official.