BEIJING - China was elated yesterday that it had succeeded for the sixth straight year in foiling Western attempts to pass a U.N. resolution critical of its human rights record.

The top story in the People's Daily, the Communist Party newspaper and the nation's most widely circulated daily, crowed: ''The West fails again to use human rights to interfere in China's internal affairs.''

Most major national newspapers had similar headlines.

Yesterday, the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission upheld a Chinese motion to take no action on a mildly worded resolution that voiced concern at what it said were Chinese human rights violations.

That meant the commission, meeting at its annual session in Geneva, did not even vote on what Beijing calls ''the anti-China resolution.''

The U. S. government has come under attack for giving China preferential trading status despite reported human rights abuses.

But in Washington, State Department spokesman Glyn Davies expressed deep disappointment that the motion at the United Nations had failed.

''Internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms continue to be violated by local, provincial and national authorities,'' he said. ''We call on the Chinese government to take action ... (to) ensure the rights of China's people.''

China has led the fight by developing nations that argue that economic development is the most important human right.

A commentary by the official Xinhua News Agency said the China resolution was an attempt to discredit Beijing with ''unwarranted charges'' and to contain China and its burgeoning economy.