The State Department announced Friday its decision to sponsor the resolution because of a sharp deterioration in China's tolerance of dissent over the past year.

"We think the violations there are substantial, that there has been a deterioration in the human rights condition over the last year," said Harold Hongju Koh, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor.

Koh, speaking at a roundtable on the sidelines of the commission, said the United States would "welcome the support that we think we should receive on that important decision."

"Each delegation should vote its conscience and stand up for important points of principles."

Brussels has not yet decided what position it will take.

"This will create a new situation for Europe which has to be discussed," a diplomat said.

"There is no clear position regarding each member country and the EU, and a decision will no doubt be taken by foreign ministers," the diplomat said.

The determination would be based on ways to advance the cause of human rights in China and on maintaining unity in the 15-member bloc, the diplomat said.

Resolutions tabled at the six-week commission session are not formally binding, but they do carry moral and political weight that can embarrass the targeted countries.

Beijing for the past 10 years has managed to outwit every censuring motion tabled against it by Washington and Brussels at the commission by culling just enough support from mainly Asian and African countries.

The transatlantic powers dropped the effort last year as President Bill Clinton planned a state visit to China.

Both then argued their support for a so-called constructive dialogue with China aimed to produce concrete progress on human rights.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, speaking last Monday to the commission, warned that the heavy prison sentences meted out to dissidents were "unacceptable" and urged Beijing to make real advances on the rights front.

But he affirmed that the EU intended to continue its dialogue with the Chinese government.

Koh stressed that the United States and the EU shared the same concerns.

"I don't think there are disagreements on the facts. That is an important point," he said.

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Last updated: 1-April-99