On Tuesday, China was under unprecedented scrutiny of its policies at the United Nations, and several nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States, condemned the country’s human rights record.
The United Kingdom and the United States have issued separate demands on China, with the former urging the country to cease persecuting Tibetans and Uyghurs and allow freedom of religion and expression without fear. They also demanded the release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.
In addition to urging the abolition of Hong Kong’s national security law, the UK has demanded the dismissal of all charges against pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai.
The United Nations Human Rights Council’s universal periodic assessment, in which all 193 member nations assess each other’s human rights records every five years, is the process that led to the recommendations.
At the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, each nation had 45 seconds to provide suggestions based on China’s human rights records from 2018 forward. During that time, there were significant demonstrations in Hong Kong against the CCP’s increasing control, which led to the passage of a national security law that some see as criminalizing dissent. The situation regarding human rights in Xinjiang has also come under increased international scrutiny. There is also rising concern about transnational repression due to the targeting of activists in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries by Chinese authorities or agents.
Many smaller nations or those economically reliant on China have lauded China for its human rights record, highlighting its achievement in reducing poverty for tens of millions since 2018.
It’s always about the money. Countries not dependent on China for aid can see their atrocities. Poor countries look the other way.
Ethiopia, for instance, found a way to praise China. They lauded the CCP for strengthening its criminal litigation system.
