China has rejected US criticism over deteriorating human rights saying that China's progress in human rights is an objective fact. Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said China and the US are at different stages of development, and so have different views on human rights. China's vice-foreign minister was speaking after two days of high-level talks in Washington that have been overshadowed by growing criticism of China's rights record. Mr Cui said China's historical progress in human rights over the past few decades was an objective fact. His comments come after US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton described China's record on rights as deplorable. Since February, China has detained hundreds of pro-democracy activists, lawyers and writers and has clamped down on news media reporting on the Middle East protests.