A senior Chinese justice official has defended the country's use of re-education through labour, which has been widely criticised by human rights groups.

The practise involves sentencing without trial to up to three years in a detention centre, and has been used against a number of political activists.

Its use has attracted renewed debate since China signed a United Nations' covenant on human rights.

A number of Chinese legal academics are said to have argued it undermines recent revisions to the country's criminal code.

However, the official quoted by a Chinese newpaper the China Daily says this is not the case.