AP Exclusive: US Ambassador Faults China on Rights

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. ambassador says human rights abuses in China are worsening and becoming a growing concern for the United States even though overall ties between the countries are more entwined.

Gary Locke said in an interview Wednesday after four months in Beijing that overall relations were strong and growing in complexity. That's especially true in trade where the U.S. is counting on Chinese demand to create American jobs.

However, Locke said human rights abuses had been rising over the past year as Chinese leaders fret over the chances that the democratic uprisings that swept Egypt and other Arab countries might spread to China. He cited the widespread detention and arrest of activists and lawyers and a lack of judicial independence.