China reacted on Thursday, Jan. 14, after the United States called for the release of arrested human rights lawyers, cautioning the U.S. to stop interfering in its internal affairs.

Most of the detained lawyers were arrested on subversion charges, according to the rights group Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

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Mark Toner, the deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department, said on Wednesday, Jan. 13 that the U.S. government is concerned about China's continuing crackdown against human rights lawyers.

"The United States urges China to drop these charges and immediately release these lawyers, and others like them, detained for seeking to protect the rights of Chinese citizens," Toner said during a news briefing.

In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that  "Foreign governments should respect China's judicial sovereignty and refrain from interfering."

This issue of human rights has always been a source of tension between the world's two largest economies.

A Swedish man was detained recently in China for committing acts which are damaging to the country's national security. However, Hong made it clear that China will work with officials at the Swedish embassy to carry out consular work on this matter.

He emphasized that the government together with the judicial departments and relevant Chinese authorities are going to safeguard the interests and legitimate rights of every foreign citizen staying in China. Lei added that any dispute concerning this matter will be answered in accordance with the law.

TagsMark Toner, US-China relations