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Rightways: Human rights
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White flags are seen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the
United States, on Sept. 16, 2021. More than 660,000 white flags were installed here to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in the United States.Photo:Xinhua
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The US hit a record high of 543,928 daily new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The number of new deaths reached 3,023 the same day. For two consecutive days, new COVID-19 cases in the US have exceeded 500,000. Behind each startling number is an unfortunate live and family. As the epidemic hits new records again and again, Washington is ending 2021 in an extremely somber way, and its fiasco will go down in history.
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The previous record of new COVID-19 cases was a figure of 294,015 recorded on January 8, one day after the confirmation of Joe Biden's presidential election victory by the Congress. After taking office, Biden made control of the epidemic a top priority and launched a series of prevention and control measures. Many thought that the record on January 8 would be the peak, and even the most pessimistic person at that time probably couldn't have imagined that a new record would be reached by the end of the year. The White House has a new president, but the epidemic is raging even more widely. In 2021, the US still presents the world with chaos, disorder and contradiction in its fight against the epidemic.
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Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik wrote in his article, entitled "Farewell to 2021, the stupidest year in American history," that "instead of unity and immunity, this year has brought us stupidity and insanity on an unimaginable scale." He argues that COVID-19 is surely "the focus of the most obtuse and ignorant public reactions and state and local policy responses to any crisis in American history." Some media outlets commented that a sense of powerlessness over political confrontation, social rifts and rampant anti-intellectualism has further dissipated expectations of a united response to the epidemic.
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As the country with the most advanced technology and top comprehensive strength, the US has the strongest financial and medical resources, moreover, it only has a population of 329 million people. But two years since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, over 810,000 people have died of the pandemic. Under the so-called democratic system, nobody is held accountable for such a huge loss of human lives. People don't even know who is responsible for fighting the pandemic under the US President. "Human" is left out of human rights: such an absurd logic just happened in a modern society.
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People found that the death toll has a much smaller impact on politicians in Washington than the number of votes and the ups and downs of the stock market. In developed countries with advanced medical conditions and better welfare systems, we have constantly seen cruel scenes of social Darwinism: The poor are facing a higher risk of being infected and witnessing a higher death rate. Some medical institutions have even given tacit permission for "selective treatment" of impoverished patients or those of ethnic minorities.
When a large number of ordinary families are caught up in financial difficulties due to the epidemic, the assets of billionaires have risen significantly. According to a recent report by Business Insider, 52 members of the US Congress were found to have concealed their technology, pharmaceutical or other stock trades, violating the STOCK Act. They were suspected of taking advantage of the turmoil of the epidemic to make a fortune out of national crisis through engaging in insider trading.
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What's currently happening in the US is a humanitarian catastrophe and a human rights disaster. But those "human rights preachers" are either at a loss about what to do, or they just turn a blind eye to it. Apart from being symbolically mentioned on occasional commemorative ceremonies, the misfortunes of the broken families and individuals have been collectively neglected. The "human" has been left out of US' "human rights," that's why the economy has been put above human lives and saving the stock market is considered more important than curbing the epidemic.
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In 2021, under the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US has defeated the US, and the true nature of the "human rights defender" has been exposed. We feel sympathy for the American people who have suffered miserably from the pandemic, while having a more sober understanding of the hypocrisy of the US-style human rights
The virtual "Summit for Democracy" held by the US kicked off on Thursday, but Chinese analysts said that Washington just ...
Democracy should reflect the will of the people. But what happens when that will is ignored? The U.S. describes itself as a democratic country. Yet, it has rampant gun violence and racial discrimination, widening social inequality, needless overseas wars, and the worst record of COVID-19 deaths globally. In an original two-part series, CGTN takes a hard look at how democracy is slowly eroding in the U.S. and how it may spread throughout the world if not stopped. Join us for "U.S. Democracy: A reality check," only on CGTN. #WhoDefinesDemocracy#WholeProcessDemocracy
'Summit for Democracy': How a single toxic hornet hijacks a group of bees
Illustration: Chen Xia/GT
The US-initiated "Summit for Democracy" began Thursday night Beijing time. Several hours before its opening, Pakistan, which was among the participants the US had invited, announced that it would not attend. Pakistan's announcement triggered much discussion. In addition to the heated discussion of why the US invited certain countries and regions but did not invite some others, the latest topic has taken the real theme of "democracy" away.
The US has used much of its strength to snub China and Russia and controversially defined which country or region is democratic and which is not. The forces it tries to curry favor from are definitely not as many as it has offended. It must be said that the US has become so fragile that it has to go around in such a big circle to beg for a little support. The result is destined.
Democracy is not achieved by talking big, but by a country's arduous work. Democracy is not the franchise model of chain stores where the US formulates rules and rations ingredients, with the same cartoon character of an old guy standing in front of each entrance. The team of US President Joe Biden must have eaten too much KFC and McDonald's when they were young.
Biden convened this "summit for democracy" at a time when US national governance, including its democratic system, was criticized the most. From the West's point of view, the summit should be held as a "criticism summit" against the US. The US has been a drag on Western democracy, and this is the major reason why Western democracy has felt a sense of crisis. Discussions about the US' "decline" have flooded the world's public opinion field. From the COVID-19 fight to anti-racial discrimination, the US has not done anything worthy of being put on a window display in the West. Western democracy has lost its face by following the US.
The very purpose of this "summit for democracy" is to use a big pomp to remind the world: The "declining" US you talk about is still the boss and other countries should choose the right "big brother" to follow. Washington wants to form a "democratic gang," but the world has turned that old page long ago. Even street singers use QR codes to get paid nowadays.
Some say that the "summit for democracy" may become one of Biden's few political legacies. But is it pitiful for Biden? No wonder some Chinese people said ironically that even the head of a county in China is more practical and capable than the US president.
This so-called summit for democracy is bound to be a hypocritical exposition of all kinds of international political machinations within the US-led gang. This conference in the name of "democracy" will definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame in history, just because it deepens the divisions of the world and intensifies confrontation between major powers. In this sense, it may be regarded as the "political legacy" of the Biden administration, but definitely a negative asset.
It's a joke that the US, trapped in the COVID-19 epidemic, even dares to summon a "summit for democracy" and attempt to give a voice to democracy when it has just run away from Afghanistan, the "laboratory for democracy." A swarm of innocent bees is being hijacked by a toxic hornet who teaches them to sting, not to produce honey.
A farce is being staged. The world did not host an infrastructure summit, an education summit or a poverty alleviation summit, but the US created a "summit for democracy." So far, what has caused the most global deaths are the COVID-19 pandemic that ravages across the world, as well as the Western-style "democracy" imposed by the US and West on developing countries. The US didn't have to hold a "summit for democracy." It would be best for it to open its border and let refugees from Third World countries who suffered immensely from Western-style democracy enter its territory and enjoy "authentic democracy."
US President Joe Biden arriving to deliver his remarks at the virtual
Summit for Democracy at the White House in Washington DC. — AFP
THIS week the United States hosted an online “Summit for Democracy” (Dec
9-10), which it claimed was to “focus on challenges and opportunities
facing democracies” and to “defend democracy and human rights at home
and abroad”.
Unfortunately, it might end up to be nothing but an attempt to divide
the world into opposing political camps and advance the US’S own
strategic agenda with democracy as an excuse. If so, the meeting
couldn’t be further away from the spirit of democracy. China firmly
opposes the move by the US, one that is dominated by Cold War mentality
and which seeks to incite ideological confrontation and risks creating
new divisive lines in the international community.
With this summit, the US seeks to empower itself to determine who is
democratic and who is not based on its own liking, and measure the
merits of other countries’ democracy with its own yardstick. This is, in
fact, privatisation and labelling of democracy and will make the
“Summit for Democracy” itself undemocratic.
The world today is facing pressing global challenges such as an ongoing
pandemic and climate change, and some countries, including the US, are
troubled by a worsening democracy and many domestic problems. Under such
circumstances, countries have every reason to prioritise the needs of
the people, advocate unity and cooperation, and strive for development
and progress.
Perhaps the last thing a responsible major country should do is to turn a
blind eye to its own problems and scapegoat others politically.
Ironically, it is the people who have to pay the price at the end of the
day.
While upholding democracy at home, countries should also support
greater democracy in international relations, uphold the Un-centred
international system and the international order based on international
law.
Efforts are also urgently needed to practice true multilateralism
and make global governance more inclusive. These are the shared
aspirations of the international community and meet the trend of our
times. Unfortunately, the US summit did not indicate if it would advance
these goals, seeming instead to make itself a disruptive factor.
China believes that democracy means, in essence, that people are
the masters of the country. Democracy is practiced to meet people’s
needs, bringing the people a decent and happy life and progress for the
country and beyond.
Having seen a number of successful and failed cases of democracy
worldwide, countries across the world must have come to realise one
thing: true democracy will only dawn when it is deeply rooted in a
country and fits well with its own national conditions and stage of
development. Efforts to mechanically copy the political systems and
democratic models of others have never worked and never will. Neither do
attempts to impose one’s own political will on others.
When it comes to China’s case, the Chinese people have followed
the political development path with Chinese characteristics and created
the model of whole-process ....
Indian media were dismayed that their Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been advised to attend the US-proposed so-called Summit for Democracy and reminded Indian authorities to be wary of the US playing tricks behind the summit, pointing out that the ...
How many evils have been committed in the name of democracy?
Exporting wars, launching "color revolutions," fomenting extremist ideologies, and promoting economic instability... the US has left endless trails of bloodshed and turmoil around the world. While the "model of democracy" loses its shine, the US still attempts to establish
...
Does Anyone Care About Their Absence? They Are Not Even Invited!
US' act around the Beijing Winter Olympics is like posing while nude, and that is not art
China has lodged solemn representations and expressed strong opposition to the US' "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and will take firm countermeasures, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, while Chinese and foreign experts said the US is making itself a joke not only by announcing a boycott of the Games that had not invited US politicians and also by citing lies of "genocide" against China as an excuse to politicize the Olympics in an attempt to create momentum for its upcoming democracy summit.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration will not send any diplomat or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic games, citing "genocide" and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and "other human rights abuses."
The US has been fabricating the biggest lie of the century about so-called "genocide" in China's Xinjiang region, which has been refuted by facts. Based on ideological biases and lies, the US is trying to disturb the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The US practice gravely violates the principle of political neutrality enshrined in the Olympic Charter, runs counter to the Olympic motto of "together" and stands on the opposite side of global athletes and sports fans, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday.
Zhao noted that the Winter Olympics is not the platform for posturing and manipulation. According to Olympic rules, officials are invited by their?respective National Olympic Committee to attend the Olympic Games. Whether the US officials will come to the Beijing Winter Olympics and root for their own athletes is the US' own business.
Despite not even being invited, the US side linked its officials' attendance with the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang, going down the wrong path further by distorting facts while cheating themselves as well as others. The US political agenda wins no supports and is doomed to fail, Zhao said.
US President Joe Biden and some politicians were hyping a boycott of the Beijing Games. However, the Global Times learned previously from sources that as the host country, China never planned to invite US and Western politicians who hype the "boycott" topic.
No one cares whether US politicians will come or not and it has no impact on the success of the Beijing Games, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US, tweeted on Tuesday.
The White House announcement on Monday was also mocked in the US and on Twitter. Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the UN, tweeted that "A diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics is a joke. China doesn't care if Biden and team show up. They want our athletes."
Ben Norton, an assistant editor of the US news website the Grayzone tweeted that "The Biden admin is acting like its diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing is a brave move for 'human rights,' but China openly said for weeks that the US was not even invited. This is the political version of a petulant child shouting, 'Well, I didn't wanna go anyway!'"
Adnan Akfirat, president of the Turkish-Chinese Business Development and Friendship Association, who openly opposed the US politicizing the Olympics, described the US decision as "a futile effort" and it is also ridiculous to say that those who haven't already been invited won't attend.
There is a proverb in Turkish. "The rabbit is offended by the mountain!" Akfirat told the Global Times.
In a statement on the US boycott on Monday, the International Olympic Committee said that the presence of government officials and diplomats is a purely political decision for each government, which the IOC in its political neutrality fully respects. At the same time, this announcement also makes clear that the Olympic Games and the participation of the athletes are beyond politics, and we welcome this.
Low-cost try
Since there is no invitation for US politicians to attend the Beijing Games, why it is still keen on hyping the topic? Analysts from China and overseas said that US attempts to use the "cheap shot" to humiliate China, but it only exposes its own malicious moves of politicizing the Olympic spirit.
Tom Fowdy, a British political and international relations analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the Biden administration's announcement is "fueled by obvious opportunism. It is adecision which allows them to whip up anti-China sentiment, but comes with very little sacrifice or cost."
The US is attempting to smear China in a low-cost way since US politicians have realized that if clashes or confrontations are intensified or lead to the military field, the risk may be too great to bear. They chose to "boycott" the Beijing Olympics - a diplomatic stunt to showcase the US presence and "leading role" in values, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
However, such a move is absurd. The unilateral boycott without an invitation in advance is a very cheap political gesture. It is as ridiculous as I say that I will boycott going to Mars," Lü said.
Psaki told the Monday press conference that US athletes will be participating in the Beijing Games and they will be "rooting for the athletes from home."
The US wants to display its "humanity" by saying that athletes would come to the Beijing Games, but it is the US that initiated the hype of a boycott of the Games based on completely fake "genocide" allegations, putting numerous athletes' careers at risk, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.
The US' tactic of politicizing the Olympics also hit a new low as it chose to announce the boycott a few days before the so-called democracy summit, Li said, noting that the boycott is like a signal for the US to mobilize as many forces as possible to smear China, to pressure other countries to choose sides and to verify its global influence.
The US is scheduled to hold the Democracy Summit on Thursday and Friday this week, which has been criticized by observers for bringing new confrontations and dividing the world by ideology.
The Democracy Summit, which Biden plans to use as the symbol of the so-called "US is back," has "illogical and pathetic" criteria to divide democratic and non-democratic countries. "If democracy is the rule of the people for the people, the most anti-democratic country is the US," said Akfirat.
Graham Perry, a British solicitor and international arbitrator, told the Global Times that the issue of the US' diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic has to be seen within the bigger issue of the rise of China and the relative decline of the US.
The West likes to portray China as a vicious, oppressive 'dictatorship' but facts show the opposite. For example, China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty and protected more people from COVID-19. So the West "invents" genocide allegations in Xinjiang to damage China, and as China becomes more successful, more lies would be told about China, Perry told the Global Times.
Who would follow?
While Chinese and foreign experts criticize the US for politicizing the Olympics and using the sports event to pressure other countries, they noted that the majority of countries will keep away from such a political move and not follow the US.
When responding to whether the US is trying to get other allies to join the US in the "diplomatic boycott," Psaki told the Monday press conference that "we have informed them of our decision, and obviously we will leave it to them to make their own decisions."
As of press time on Tuesday, no country has announced it would follow the US in boycotting the games. After the US' announcement, media in Canada and Australia reported that their politicians urged their governments to make a similar decision.
Maybe two or three countries will follow the US but no more, Lü said, noting that following the US in making such a decision should take long-term consequences into consideration especially if it will make a difference in the long run, especially for how the Chinese people feel about those countries.
New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said on Tuesday that New Zealand will not be sending diplomatic representatives at a ministerial level to the Beijing Winter Olympics, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason, and added that the decision was made in October.
Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based senior sports commentator, told the Global Times that the US "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing Games has nothing to do with sports but all about politics. The boycott of the 1980 Olympics had left a very bad lesson for the world. The US now is carrying on the Cold War mentality to make another one, which is unpopular since the world has changed.
Wang said the US boycott has no impact on the Beijing Games but showed to the world how it intends to destroy a country's efforts to host a sports event. "The US is taking the initiative to bring destruction and in the future, which country would still be willing to host the Games since their efforts could be easily ruined by politics?"
Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest outside the US Capitol on Wednesday, in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breached security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. Photo: AFP
Martin Jacques: Western concept of democracy lacks historical context
There is something more than a little ironic about President Biden's Summit for Democracy this week. The intention is blindingly obvious: to rally the troops in favour of Western-style democracy and draw a line in the sand between "democracy" (ie, the West) and "autocracy" (ie, China and Russia). In this Biden faces two huge problems, which will get little or no airing at the Summit. First, the Western democracies are in serious difficulties. And second, that China, in terms of governance, has been seriously out-performing the West.
The US talks about democracy in the manner of a slick TV advert. It is all good and no bad. It is timeless. It has long reigned and will reign forever. It cannot be improved upon. This, of course, is nonsense. No form of governance has, or will, last indefinitely. There are multiple signs that Western democracy is losing its popularity. Numerous Western polls have indicated growing disillusionment in their political systems.
Ultimately, any form of governance depends upon its ability to deliver. Whatever the fancy words, this is the bottom line. If it fails to deliver, then people will look for alternative forms of governance. Western governance was at its most successful during the long boom between 1945 and the mid-1970s. It delivered rapid economic growth, full employment, generous welfare reforms and prosperity. In the 1959 general election, the British Conservative Prime Minister ran on the slogan "You've never had it so good." He was right. And the Conservatives won big time. Even during the following rather less successful period between 1980 and 2007, Western governance still worked after a fashion. The turning-point was the Western financial crisis in 2008, the worst since 1931.
Ever since then, living standards in the West have struggled to return to even where they were in 2007. All the Western economies have remained on life-support, with zero or near zero interest rates, following the financial crisis. Their economic woes had political consequences, with growing disillusionment in the mainstream political parties and their leaders and, more seriously, in societal elites and governing institutions. The most dramatic case was the United States, the citadel of Western democracy. The reasons for the disaffection go back long before 2008: nearly half of all Americans have experienced static or falling living standards since 1980. Trump gave voice to the anti-establishment anger. His attitude towards democracy is, to put it mildly, unclear, as his covert support for the Insurrection at Capitol Hill last January well illustrates. Biden won the 2020 presidential election, but what will happen in 2024 is anyone's guess. The country is deeply divided and polarised to the point where there are almost two Americas. For the first time since the Civil War, there are serious doubts among Americans as to whether their democracy can survive.
Democracy works in good times but not so well in bad times. Between 1918 and 1939, a large majority of European states lived under various forms of dictatorship for part of, or most of, that period. Democracies were, for the most part, few and far between. The overriding reason was the Great Depression, with falling living standards, huge unemployment, impoverishment, racism, nationalism, and acute political polarisation.
Even if Western-style democracy survives, and it likely will in most Western countries, such are its deep roots, it will enjoy nothing of the elan and prestige it possessed during its heyday in the long boom, or even between 1980 and 2007. The reason is simple. Between 1945 and 2000, the West dominated the world. In 1970 it accounted for two-thirds of global GDP. The United States was by far the dominant country. Now the West accounts for rather less than half of global GDP while China, in terms of size, is on a par with America. We are in the process of transitioning to a post-Western world. Domestically and internationally, Western leaders enjoy much less prestige and authority than they did during the second half of the 20th century. Compare the regard in which Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Kennedy were held with that for George W Bush, Trump and Biden. And the same can be said of the declining respect for the US political system. The allure of democracy has greatly diminished.
The rise of China since 1978 has become a new measure of the performance of the United States and the West. Over this period China has out-performed the West in terms of delivery: the supercharged growth rate, the transformation in living standards, the huge reduction in poverty, the increase in life expectation, the long run social stability and the very high approval ratings. The way in which China has handled the pandemic, with just 4,636 deaths compared with 787,695 deaths in the US, is a powerful endorsement of Chinese governance and a shameful exposure of that in the US. Western democracy is under huge pressure both internally and externally. And the gulf between the relative performance between the US and China is set to grow ever wider.
These are the questions that should be discussed at the Summit for Democracy. But they won't be.
Martin Jacques was until recently a Senior Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University. He is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University and a Senior Fellow at the China Institute, Fudan University. He is the author of When China Rules the World.
The whole-process democracy in China is a great practice of universal significance. This situation has become more and more obvious in the big picture of human civilization.
American democracy has lost its effectiveness in solving nearly all its major domestic problems
Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday released a report on US democracy, exposing the deficiencies and abuse of democracy in the US as well as the harm of it exporting such democracy.
Ahead of the US-initiated summit for democracy, China has consecutively issued a white paper on Chinese democratic model and a report on US democracy, which not only defends China's own democratic achievements but also warns of the disastrous effects of the US' democratic mess on the world, said Chinese experts. They described the report as timely and to the point.
It is hoped that the US will improve its own system and practices of democracy and change its way of interacting with other countries, said the report, noting that this is in the interest of not only the American people, but also the people of other countries.
The report pointed the US system is fraught with deep-seated problems and the US democracy has become "a game of money politics," the US has "one person one vote" in name, which is however"rule of the minority elite" in reality; the checks and balances have resulted in a "vetocracy," and the flawed electoral rules have impaired fairness and justice, and the dysfunctional democracy has triggered a trust crisis.
The report also mentioned the messy and chaotic features of US democracy, including the capitol riot that shocked the world, entrenched racism, tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, widening wealth gap and the "freedom of speech" in name only.
Also, the report bashed the disastrous consequences of US' practice of exporting democracy. The "color revolutions" have undermined regional and national stability, the US imposition of its style of democracy has caused humanitarian tragedies, the abuse of sanctions has breached international rules, and the "beacon of democracy" has drawn global criticism, according to the report.
Democracy is a common value shared by all humanity, said the report. It is a right for all nations, not a prerogative reserved for a few. Democracy takes different forms, and there is no one-size-fits-all model. It would be totally undemocratic to measure the diverse political systems of the world with a single yardstick or examine different political civilizations from a single perspective. The political system of a country should be independently decided by its own people, the report said.
The report pointed out that the US'system of democracy is derived from its own practices, noting this system is unique, not universally applicable, and it is far from perfect. However, over the years, the US, despite the structural flaws and problematic practice of its democratic system, has claimed itself as the "model of democracy." It has incessantly interfered in other countries' internal affairs and waged wars under the guise of "democracy," creating regional turbulence and humanitarian disasters, the report said.
One day after China released its white paper on the country's democratic model, China issued another report on US democracy, which not only explains what China's democracy is but also tells the world that China understands what the US democracy is. The US is far from a "beacon of democracy" and has nothing worth showing off given the chaotic American society, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.
At a time when the whole world needs to work together to fight the pandemic, recover economically and care for the vulnerable, the US is hosting such a useless summit based on ideological boundaries which targets China, Russia and some other countries and regions. It reflects the US' Cold War mentality and exposes that the country is playing a divisive role in the world,Lü said, criticizing the upcoming US democracy summit.
How many evils have been committed in the name of
democracy?
Exporting wars, launching "color revolutions," fomenting extremist
ideologies, and promoting economic instability...the US has left
countless trails of bloodshed and turmoil around the world. While the
"model of democracy" lose its shine, the US still attempts?to establish
exclusive cliques through ...
` ` MAN and nature are running out of time. That’s
the core message of the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change
...
Moral vacuum at the heart of modernity, now embodied in US laws!
` In short, historically it was the Church that gave the moral blessing
for colonisation, slavery and genocide during the Age of Globalisation.
The tragedy is that the Doctrine of Discovery is now embodied in US
laws.
Ambassador Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the United Nations office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, speaks during the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Photo: Liu Xin/GT
Human rights are currently the most prominent "battleground" between China and the US. The latter has rallied its allies and made the Xinjiang issue the main focus of its attacks. At the recent United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council meeting, Canada, on behalf of 41 countries, slammed China on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, while Belarus, on behalf of 65 countries, supported China. In total, more than 90 countries have expressed support to China in various ways. This is the latest microcosm of this increasingly heated struggle.
We believe that the US and its main allies have no chance of winning this "human rights war" against China. At this Human Rights Council meeting, despite the high profile of the US and its allies, the countries supporting China greatly outnumber those that followed the steps of the coalition led by Washington. The pattern of the long-term struggle will not change. Moreover, since the attacks from the US and its alliance aim at China, a wrong target, they will not only find they are fighting a unwinnable war, t will also particularly demonstrate their isolation because they do not have justice on their side. Thus, it further breaks their human rights card and makes it even more ineffective.
The fundamental reason is because their definition of human rights is narrow and West-centered, and they have tried outrageously to make their definition universal, which is in stark contrast to the reality of developing countries. This poses a realistic threat and challenge to those countries' order and development pace. Such being the case, it has sparked dissatisfaction and been inevitably resisted by people around the world.
The meaning of human rights is abundant. Different people have varied human rights concerns. The "human rights card" played by the West against developing countries has limited focus on "exaggerated personal political rights". In the process, the West acknowledges only their own social order as legitimate and reasonable, and refuses to recognize that the social order in developing countries is the basis for realizing development and progress
What is the largest gap between developing countries and Western ones? From the standpoint of developing countries, the biggest gap lies in economic development and living standards. So most developing countries emphasize constant improvement of people's livelihood. But as for Western countries like the US, they use their own governance model to judge personal political rights in developing countries, trying to distract those countries and disrupt their agenda.
Worse, the West has become extreme in this regard. As a result, US-led countries have even demanded individuals' sabotaging moves as actions to practice political freedom in developing countries. The double standards that the international community detests have been formed.
The world has been sick of such a human rights card. Therefore, China's move to hit back such a card of the US and the West has been welcomed across the world. In the past decades, China has made remarkable achievements in development, while simultaneously making widely known improvements in human rights. During this period, the Chinese model has become more attractive, and China has become more convincing in its human rights narratives. The era when the West dominated human rights affairs has gone. Now, China and other developing countries are more confidently practicing their own human rights construction.
By taking the lead to aggressively hype anti-China
topics recently, especially by releasing a joint statement on China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Canada will benefit nothing but only
further damage ties with China while exposing its own hypocrisy and
double ...
A scholar from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, whose photo has been used by anti-China forces to
weave lies of people being “missing and detained,” attended the 47th
session of the United Nations Human Rights Council via video link ...
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
kicked off his Europe trip on Tuesday, less than two weeks after
President Joe Biden ended his trip to the continent with an agenda
concentrated on countering China.
China does not accept the West's narrow definition of
human rights. Chinese people do not buy into the forces that are
“fighting” for our human rights. The only thing we want to say is:
please stay away from China and the Chinese people.
