The chief executive of the world's biggest miner and a major sponsor of the Beijing Olympics, has refused to buy into criticism of China's human rights and freedom of speech record.

BHP Billiton is sponsoring the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese Olympic team, and has provided the minerals used to produce the Games' medals.

Much of BHP's $US17.8 billion profit can be attributed to China's huge demand for resources.

Marius Kloppers says it is difficult for a business person to comment on whether China could have better managed freedom of speech issues.

"The Prime Minister put it in fantastic words just ahead of his visit to the Olympic Games, in that there are many positives that China's got in lifting literally hundreds of millions of people from poverty, and at the same time he emphasised that countries can always do better," he said.

"I wonder if that wasn't very aptly put."

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