China, angry over a US motion censuring its human rights record, has accused the United States of violating the rights of its citizens by demanding the fingerprints of non-immigrant visa applicants.

China?s ill-tempered response to a new US policy ? also unpopular with other countries around the world ? came shortly after Beijing suspended its human rights dialogue with Washington because of the United States? proposed UN resolution. ?It invades upon Chinese citizens? personal dignity and right to privacy. It is a method that does not bespeak human rights,? the Foreign Ministry said in a statement seen on its Web site, www.fmprc.gov.cn, yesterday.

?China is strongly dissatisfied,? it said, adding that the measure discriminated against Chinese people and demanding the United States exempt them from it. The United States began fingerprinting would-be visitors last September under a scheme it said would prevent potential terrorists from slipping in by plane or ship.

The controversial programme, ordered by Congress in response to the September 11, 2001, plane attacks, has gone into effect at more than 70 missions around the world, according to the Web site of the US Embassy in Beijing.