BEIJING (AP) -- Maintaining that torture is strictly prohibited, China on Tuesday denied claims by Amnesty International that it is regularly carried out by Chinese officials.
Even though a new Amnesty International report on torture cited examples from state media, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said the London-based group ''often made irresponsible remarks concerning China according to rumors and hearsay.''
Zhu said China prohibits torture and promised that ''those who torture will be punished in accordance with law.'' He noted that China ratified a United Nations convention against torture in 1988.
''The human rights situation in China is the best in its history,'' Zhu told a press briefing. ''The allegation that China has systematic and large-scale torture is totally groundless.''
The report issued Monday by Amnesty International said the government is not doing enough to combat torture. Chinese laws contain loopholes, abuses are rarely punished and the use of torture to extract confessions ''remains commonplace,'' the group said.
Besides police and prison officers, a growing range of officials are using torture, including tax collectors, family planners, neighborhood watch groups and security guards, Amnesty said.
The range of victims has expanded from criminals and dissidents to include prostitution suspects, migrant workers, officials suspected of corruption, the mentally ill and religious believers, the group said.
Allegations of torture have been widespread in China's efforts to suppress separatist sentiment in Tibet and the western Muslim region of Xinjiang and in the 18-month-old crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement.