The US state department report, issued on Wednesday, said China’s human rights record had worsened in some areas last year and that violations rose in March during protests in Tibetan regions and in August at the Olympics. The report also criticised the use of coerced confessions from prisoners, extrajudicial killings, torture and forced labour camps.

Ma Zhaoxu, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said the US report did not pay any attention to recent human rights successes in the country, including rising living standards.

“We urge the US to reflect on its own human rights problems, stop acting as a human rights guardian and stop interfering in others’ internal affairs by issuing such human rights reports,” Mr Ma said.

Earlier the official Xinhua news agency responded in even sharper terms. “[The report] wilfully ignored and distorted basic facts, groundlessly assailing China’s human rights conditions and making random and irresponsible remarks on China’s ethnic, religious and legal systems,” it said.

Although China has stepped up diplomatic overtures in recent weeks to try to damp protectionist pressures, the remarks underline the prickly defiance that Beijing adopts when its human rights record is criticised.

The pointed criticism in the US report contrasted with the low-key approach that Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, took over human rights during her visit to China last weekend. She said the issue was still a priority in US foreign policy, but before arriving in Beijing warned that it “cannot interfere” with US-China talks on the economic crisis, security and climate change.

Some supporters of Mrs Clinton say that by attempting to engage with civil society groups, rather than lecturing the Chinese about freedom and democracy, she was taking a constructive approach that reflected what can actually be achieved in the country.

However, critics say that her initial remarks will allow the Chinese to ignore future reproaches on human rights issues.

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