China denies troop mobilization at North Korea border

SEOUL, April 22 (UPI) -- China's defense ministry denied reports that Beijing had deployed additional troops at the North Korea border – but did say troops currently stationed in the region are conducting "regular training."

"Regarding the reports the military has expanded troop presence on a large scale at the China-North Korea border...is not true," the ministry's press office said in statement Friday.

Beijing added any military personnel already at their posts near North Korea were conducting "normal training."

On Wednesday, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, a nongovernmental organization in Hong Kong, announced Beijing dispatched 2,000 soldiers along the border, and that it has previously deployed troops after Pyongyang's January announcement of a "successful" hydrogen bomb test.

Some of the troops are responsible for measuring the radioactive material that could be emitted in the event of a North Korea nuclear test, the center said.

North Korea faces increased diplomatic isolation in the wake of continued provocations.

The country also faces mounting criticism of its human rights record.

The British Foreign Office issued its annual Human Rights and Democracy Report on Thursday, and included a new list of "human rights priority countries" that includes some of the world's most serious violators of human rights, Voice of America reported.

The list included North Korea and dozens of other countries, including China, Iran and Afghanistan.

The Foreign Office stated North Korea has continued to dismiss United Nations Commission of Inquiry reports on its rights abuses and has yet to take steps toward improving the human rights situation.

North Korea has called the U.N. reports false and based on "groundless lies" of North Korean defectors.