(CNN) – UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, whose rare visit to China was criticized by rights groups and Western countries, said she urged Beijing to review its counter-terrorism policies to ensure they comply with international human rights standards.
Bachelet reiterated, however, that her six-day trip, which ended on Saturday and included a visit to the western region of Xinjiang, was not an investigation into China’s human rights policies but an opportunity to engage with the government.
Washington, meanwhile, said it “remains concerned” about Bachelet’s trip — which it believes China could use for propaganda purposes.
Bachelet started her China trip, the first by a UN Human Rights High Commissioner in 17 years, on Monday in the southern city of Guangzhou before heading to Xinjiang.
Her office said last year it believed Uyghurs in Xinjiang had been unlawfully detained, mistreated and forced to work.
“I have raised questions and concerns about the application of counter-terrorism and deradicalisation measures under broad application, particularly the impact on the rights of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities,” she said during an online press briefing on Saturday.
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