CHINA / DIPLOMACY
US releases human rights report as ‘bargaining chip’ to play tough on China
Published: Apr 23, 2024 07:43 PM
US human rights

US human rights


The US pointed the finger at China’s Xinjiang region in its “lie-filled” 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Monday, one day before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s departure ahead of his China visit. 

The report, which has been issued annually for more than four decades, has become a bargaining chip in foreign affairs to woo allies and smear competitors, and a vivid portrayal of US double standards and hegemonic mentality, analysts said. 

The content related to China is full of political bias and ideological prejudices. The human rights situation in China is best judged by the Chinese people, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Tuesday’s routine press briefing. 

Citing domestic US issues such as gun violence, drug abuse, racial discrimination, as well as its interference in other countries and supply of arms to conflict areas, Wang said the US points fingers at the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions around the world, but conveniently leaves out its own situation, once again exposing the selfish nature of US hegemony and hypocrisy of double standards. 
The US ignored the deaths and injuries of more than 110,000 civilians in Gaza, vetoed four consecutive efforts by the United Nations Security Council to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which is the best evidence of the US' disregard for and trampling on human rights, Wang noted. 

Wang urged the US to reflect on its own actions, first solve its own problems, stop lecturing others on human rights… stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights and democracy, and stop exporting conflicts and turmoil.

Human rights are just a tool the US uses to unite its allies and partners together to suppress its rivals, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The criteria for judging a country to have a good or poor "human rights" record depend on whether the country is obedient to Washington or not, and whether it cooperates with the US in geopolitics, Li said. 
Though the Gaza has become a dire humanitarian crisis, the US’ report is “very restrained” in words on Israel, analysts said. 

The US report repeated its lie of “genocide” in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and also spread other disinformation about the situations in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).  

The Commissioner of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR also voiced strong opposition, saying that the HKSAR has always protected and promoted human rights through security, development and cooperation. The so-called report disregards facts and fully exposes the US' ulterior motives to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The report is usually released in March or April, but coincides with Blinken’s China visit.

The US, despite having multiple affairs to cooperate and coordinate with China, is slandering China simultaneously. Matters like human rights and democracy are not values the US really cares about but bargaining chips used in foreign policy. Blinken is willing to play tough on China before embarking on the flight, which again demonstrated the US’ dual characters, unreliability and condescending attitude toward China, analysts said.