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China rejects foreign criticism of its orphanages

BEIJING: China issued a white paper on Wednesday hailing improvements in child care, rebuffing allegations that its orphanages killed children by neglect and rebuking foreign governments for criticising it.

But the 15,000-word white paper issued by the State Council, or cabinet, said child care in China faced "many difficulties" because it was a developing country with a population of 1.2 billion.

Allegations of abuse at orphanages by a New York-based human rights group and a British television station were fabrications, and criticisms by foreign governments were unwarranted, the white paper said.

"Foreign governments had no reason and were irresponsible to find fault with China based merely on fabrications by Human Rights Watch/Asia and Britain's Channel Four," said the white paper, excerpts of which were made available.

"China has made gigantic efforts in the survival, protection and development of... 300 million children aged below 16," the white paper said.-Reuter