China¡¯s President Xi Jinping told the United Nations on Sunday that all Chinese women have the opportunity to excel, touting his government¡¯s record on women¡¯s rights as the United States slammed Beijing and others for jailing women for their views.

China and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon co-hosted a U.N. meeting of world leaders on gender equality and women¡¯s empowerment, raising eyebrows among some western diplomats and human rights defenders in China and abroad.

¡°As the Chinese people pursue a happy life, all Chinese women have the opportunity to excel in life and make their dreams come true,¡± Xi told the meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.