China says U.S. has no right to criticise its minorities policies

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, answers a question at a regular news conference, in Beijing, China, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee/Files

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday that the United States had no right to criticise its policies on ethnic minorities, after U.S. lawmakers called for sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses against Muslims in China's Xinjiang region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the comment at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

(Reporting by Philip Wen; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Darren Schuettler)