US officials expressed particular concern over the recent arrest of the artist Ai Weiwei, an outspoken critic of the government. He has not been seen since he was stopped trying to board a Hong Kong-bound plane. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also highlighted reports of other intellectuals and activists being “arbitrarily detained” in recent weeks. “We advise the US side to reflect on its own human rights issues and not to position itself as a preacher of human rights,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.
Adapted from BBC
Vocabulary
artist | practitioner of any of the arts, esp. painting |
outspoken | frank; blunt; saying openly what one thinks |
critic | person who criticizes; fault-finder; detractor |
board | get on (a plane) |
bound | ready to travel |
highlighted | emphasized; drew attention to |
activists | campaigners; persons who work to achieve political or social change |
arbitrarily | illogically; without reason |
reflect on | think about |
position | place; put |
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