China said Tuesday it rejects human rights as a reason to interfere in its internal affairs after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised the issue of work camps for Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang during his recent trip to Beijing.

Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a media briefing that the anti-extremism measures China was taking in Xinjiang were "totally legitimate" and had "wide support from the people in Xinjiang".

Geng also commented on an international arms-trade treaty from which US President Donald Trump has said he'll withdraw.

He said China was studying the possibility of signing up to the treaty, saying that "China supports the international community to take necessary measures to regulate international arms trade activities and combat illegal arms transfer and trafficking."

Asked about the details of six foreigners being sentenced by a court in southern China for drug offences, including a Canadian given the death penalty, Geng didn't respond directly.

Beijing – 30 April 2019

1. Wide of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang walking towards podium

2. Wide of journalists

3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"China is willing to discuss human rights issues with others on the basis of equality and mutual respect. In the meantime, we strongly oppose any interference in China's internal affairs that uses human rights as an excuse. Secondly, the situation in Xinjiang is part of China's internal affairs. Terrorism and extremism are trampling on fundamental human rights. China's preventative anti-terrorism measures and the eradication of extremism in Xinjiang are totally legitimate. The measures respect and protect human rights and have won wide support from the people in Xinjiang."

4. Wide of journalists

5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"We hope that the relevant countries could do more to help consolidate the international arms control mechanism and maintain international and regional peace and stability. China attaches great importance to the problems caused by the illicit transfer of conventional weapons, especially small and light weapons. China supports the international community to take necessary measures to regulate international arms trade activities and combat illegal arms transfer and trafficking."

6. Wide of journalists

7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"China conducts strict controls over arms trade and participated in the negotiation of the arms trade treaty with a constructive role. China supports the purpose of the treaty and joined the relevant meetings as an observer. China has been studying the issues of accession to the treaty."

8. Wide of journalists

9. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"The Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court of Guangdong Province has issued a very detailed announcement. According to my understanding, in the announcement, there are very clear explanations about who was sentenced to death, who was sentenced to death with a suspended execution, and who was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment. I suggest you read it carefully again."

10. Wide of journalist

11. End of press conference

Japan's finance minister Taro Aso on Friday said China and Japan agreed to maintain a multilateral, free and open rules-based trade system, and the minister said protectionism and inward-looking policies "do not benefit any country."

Aso spoke to reporters in Beijing after meeting his counterpart Liu Kun and other finance and central bank officials.

The meeting between Asia's two biggest economies comes amid deepening trade rifts between China and the United States.

The Trump administration has raised duties on a total of $50 billion of Chinese imports that Washington says benefit from improper policies. China retaliated with similar penalties.

The U.S. is poised to raise duties on an additional $200 billion of imports, and Beijing has issued a list of American goods for retaliation.

Japan has treaded carefully over the past months, neither publicly condoning nor criticising the tariffs between US and China.

Asked by a reporter for his views on China's trade regulations that are restrictive to foreign investors, Aso admitted Chinese regulations were "different" from Japanese standards, but that such differences are common.

Aso said talks were held in an amicable atmosphere.

"I think these talks had the best atmosphere so far, compared to previous talks - that is the biggest achievement," Aso said. "It wasn't thorny."

In a statement released by the Finance Ministry, the two sides had also agreed to expand cooperation in investments, financial markets and supervision, and exchanged views on economic cooperation in third countries.

Beijing - 31 August 2018

1. Japan's finance minister Taro Aso walking to podium

2. Reporters

3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Taro Aso, Japan's finance minister:

"On trade, we agreed that protectionist measures that lead to inward-looking policies do not benefit any country, and to maintain and propel a multilateral, free and open rules-based trade system."

4. Aso listening to reporter's questions

5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Taro Aso, Japan's finance minister:

"It is clear, the Chinese have it in a unilateral way, in which goods are imported in a way that is good for them. So what they mean by regulations, and our definition of regulations, are different, but that is quite a common phenomenon. So in this case what is important is that we have their word that they would make things free. Once we have that, we can use their word in future negotiations and say, you said at the time that you would move things towards having a free market. The point is that these keywords have been included and written down."

6. Reporters

7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Taro Aso, Japan's finance minister:

"I think these talks had the best atmosphere so far, compared to previous talks - that is the biggest achievement. It wasn't thorny."

8. Aso leaving