The announcement, expected for several days, amounts to a stinging but largely symbolic slap on the wrist for Beijing since it has virtually no chance of passing.

It could also further complicate a planned visit here next month by Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji, whose itinerary was formally announced by the White House on Friday.

His discussions here are already certain to include a number of difficult topics, notably new allegations that China has stolen designs for advanced US nuclear warheads.

Human rights groups and legislators nonetheless welcomed the announcement, though they noted that making such a decision earlier might have bought enough time to win support from US allies.

"The United States will introduce a resolution on China's human rights practices at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which is currently meeting in Geneva," State Department spokesman James Rubin said.

He cited a sharp deterioration in China's tolerance of dissent over the last year, including tighter curbs on freedom of expression and stepped-up controls over Tibet.

Such developments are of "deep concern" to the United States and mark a reversal of Beijing's slightly more relaxed policy of early 1998, he said.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright informed Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan of the decision in a telephone conversation on Thursday, Rubin said, and Tang didn't cancel Zhu's visit.

"She made clear the reasons for this decision and the fact that we consider this part of our principled policy of engagement and that we have to be frank where areas of disagreement are," Rubin said. "And we expect Premier Zhu to be here."

The UN Human Rights Commission meets from March 22-April 30 this year, and European ministers have already ruled out sponsoring such a China resolution.

Washington and Brussels unsuccessfully co-sponsored resolutions condemning China from 1990-97 but dropped the effort last year as President Bill Clinton planned a state visit to China.

Both houses of Congress unanimously passed nonbinding measures calling on Washington to back such a formal condemnation, but Clinton wasn't obliged to follow their recommendations.

Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington director of Human Rights Watch/Asia, welcomed the move but called it "too little, too late."

US officials say they are consulting with other governments to win support for the measure, Jendrzejczyk said, but added: "We only wish the administration had made this decision weeks ago."

The New York-based Chinese dissident group Human Rights in China also welcomed the move.

"The seriousness of human rights violations in China warrants specific action from the Commission on Human Rights. This decision sends a clear signal that ... no country, big or small, should escape UN scrutiny," it said.

Representative Benjamin Gilman, a Republican from New York and chairman of the House International Relations Committee, called the move "gratifying" but said he wished it had come sooner.

Some observers interpreted the decision as an effort to dampen a renewed firestorm of congressional criticism over China, notably allegations of Chinese nuclear espionage.

"They're doing this now because of everything else that's going on with China," said one Republican aide, asking: "But who's going to back us up (in sponsoring the resolution)?"

Representative Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California and frequent China critic, commended the move, however, calling it a gesture of leadership in exposing Chinese abuses.

"We know the Chinese government has been lobbying against such a resolution for months," Pelosi said in a statement. "The administration must now move quickly and aggressively at the highest levels to muster international support."

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Last updated: 30-Mar-99