ON Jan 26 this year, China’s human rights report was unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth cycle. More than 120 countries spoke highly of China’s remarkable achievements and unremitting efforts in human rights protection.
The concept of “human rights” became known from the West, yet its essential ideas have long existed in Chinese political culture. It was fully embodied in the long-cherished “people-being-first-of-all” political principle.
In the Book of Documents, one of China’s oldest classics written 3,000 years ago, it is written that “People are the foundation of a country. Only when people lead a good life can the country thrive.”
Mencius, the famous Chinese ancient sage, said the same thing: “People are the most important; the state is secondary.”
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, priority has been given to ensuring and safeguarding the human rights of all Chinese citizens. Seeing both the global trend and China’s unique situation, the Chinese government has successfully pioneered its own way of advancing human rights protection and made historic achievements in various fields.
The following are three major principles. People are always at the centre. President Xi Jinping said: “… to ensure all Chinese people a life of contentment is China’s most weighty human right.”
After eight years of painstaking efforts, China has successfully alleviated nearly 100 million people out of poverty, putting an end to its centuries-long absolute poverty history.
This is an achievement not only for the Chinese people but also, more importantly, a victory for mankind as a whole. By realising the poverty reduction aim of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of time, China has contributed significantly to global poverty reduction and progress in human development.
China has made solid progress in advancing high-quality development and established the world’s largest education, social security and healthcare systems, bringing tangible benefits to people of all ethnic groups.
Human rights are equally enjoyed by all. China is as diverse and as multiethnic as Malaysia. There are 56 ethnic groups living on this vast land. Like seeds of a pomegranate hugging each other closely, people of different ethnic groups in China love and support each other as brothers and sisters do in one big family.
Big or small, all ethnic groups in China enjoy equal social status. Their rights and benefits are legally stipulated and protected, and freedom of religion is ensured to everyone.
Recent years have seen additional “Outlines for Women’s and Children’s Development” adopted, and “Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests” amended to further promote gender equality and all-around development of women and children in China.
The physically underprivileged in China are also given proper support with their medical, educational, occupational and spiritual needs.
In upholding the principles of fairness and justice, China has been cooperating with other countries in the UN Human Rights Council and other multilateral organisations.
China has facilitated the adoption of a series of major international human rights conventions and declarations, and shared its wisdom with the rest of the world by proposing the vision of “building a community with a shared future for mankind”. This vision has been incorporated into a number of UN Human Rights Council resolutions.
Besides conducting human rights dialogues with Malaysia and 30 other countries or regions, China has been promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields to promote human rights protection.
China has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, which are Chinese solutions to addressing the global concerns of development deficits, security predicament and civilisational alienation.
Human rights are not abstract terms. They are specific in denotation, achievable in practical form and evolve with history. There are no fixed standards or one-fits-all models. Therefore, every country’s human rights development path should be allowed and respected, and success or failure can only be judged by its own people.
By undertaking Chinese-style modernisation, China is steadily advancing its cause of national rejuvenation to make it a stronger and more prosperous country.
China will bring better equitability to all its people and promote human rights protection to new heights.
Malaysia is also a diverse and inclusive society protecting human rights under the rule of law. As a good neighbour and close partner, China is willing to work with Malaysia in various fields to jointly contribute to the advancement of human rights development in both the region and the world.
Article 1 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” I believe that with the collective efforts of all, these common aspirations of humankind will eventually become a reality.
By OUYANG YUJING Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia
Growth engine: An employee works on steel castings in a factory in Hangzhou, China. The country’s contribution to worldwide economic growth is approximately 30%. — AFP
IN today’s world, China occupies a pivotal position in the global economy, showcasing a unique combination of rapid economic growth, innovative strategies and global influence.
The country has evolved from a regional power to a global economic leader, making significant contributions to international affairs and economic development.
Through active participation in international organisations, development of extensive trade networks and investments in global infrastructure projects, China exerts a profound impact on the world economic system.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chinese Premier Li Qiang articulated the key aspects of China’s economic policy and strategy.
He noted that China demonstrates sustained progress in economic development and exerts a significant influence on the global economy, serving as a vital engine of global development.
China’s contribution to global economic growth is approximately 30%, underscoring its central role in the world economic system.
Li also highlighted that China achieved an economic revival with an expected gross domestic product growth of 5.2% in 2023, surpassing the initial target of 5%.
Furthermore, Li pointed out that China is the only country covering all industrial sectors classified by the United Nations, and its added value in industry accounts for about 30% of the global level.
This testifies to China’s leading position in the global industry and its ability to stimulate worldwide productivity.
China’s active participation in international organisations underscores its commitment to multilateral cooperation and global responsibility.
The recent reelection of China to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly marks a significant milestone, affirming its influence and commitments in international affairs.
This is the sixth time China has been a member of this crucial body, demonstrating its active role in advancing global dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights.
Furthermore, the Belt and Road Initiative, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, stands as one of China’s most ambitious projects in global economic development.
The third forum of international cooperation under this initiative achieved 458 significant outcomes.
Chinese financial institutions allocated 780 billion yuan to finance projects associated with the initiative, facilitating the creation of close economic ties with numerous countries.
Chinese and foreign enterprises reached business cooperation agreements worth US$97.2bil, emphasising China’s role as a global economic partner and a bridge between various world regions.
China’s transportation infrastructure plays a critical role in its economic dominance. The country has established air connections with over 100 countries and regions worldwide, fostering stronger global connections and increasing trade.
The total tonnage of the fleet owned by Chinese shipowners amounts to 249.2 million gross tonnes, reflecting the scale of its maritime power.
These achievements, combined with leadership in cargo and container throughput at ports, underscore China’s strategic role in global logistics and trade.
China’s industry also exerts a significant influence on the global economy.
The country leads in many sectors, maintaining the world’s top position in industrial added value for the past 14 years.
This achievement is particularly notable given that China is the only country covering all industrial sectors classified by the United Nations.
With over 200 major industrial clusters, China boasts a large and diverse industrial system that contributes to the global distribution of production factors and enhances worldwide productivity.
The China-initiated South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, with a capital of US$4bil, serves as a key tool in supporting international development and strengthening global partnerships.
Additionally, Chinese financial institutions are preparing to launch a special fund of US$10bil aimed at implementing initiatives for global development, highlighting China’s strategic role in worldwide economic progress.
Evidence of China’s growing economic power is also seen in the significant increase in foreign investments.
From January to September 2023, 41,947 enterprises with foreign investments were established in China, representing a 32.1% increase compared to the previous year.
This reflects the attractiveness of the Chinese market to international investors and its ability to draw capital from various corners of the world.
In conclusion, China’s contribution to the global economy is multifaceted and substantial. From active participation in international organiaations and global initiatives, to leadership in the industrial and financial sectors, China demonstrates its role as a global economic leader.
Social and humanitarian efforts, along with contributions to peacekeeping missions, further underscore its commitment to cooperation and sustainable development.
The reflections of these achievements in the speeches of leaders like Li Qiang underscore China’s strategic vision and contribution to shaping the future of the global economy. — China Daily/ANN
By Azerbaijan-based journalist Seymur Mammadov is a special commentator for China Daily. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
Woman, 27, took own life after struggling to pay for food and £900 rent
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HK woman took her own life in UK after struggling …
You are not alone if you did not know Miss Ho Yik King because I didn’t know her either and neither did any of my friends. However her suicide in the United Kingdom on November 2022 suddenly pushed her to the headline and many were compelled to read about her and to determine what it was that drove her to end her life in the manner it did.
Miss Ho was an intelligent 27 year old HongKong girl who achieved a degree from a HongKong university in 2017 and a master degree from Switzerland in 2019. A bright future was before her had she stayed on as a normal citizen of HongKong.
But youth and wisdom are at times not packaged together and she fatally follows her rebellious nature to confront the Authorities in HongKong on human rights and the Extradition laws etc. Most of her university mates were doing it and so why not her.
Swept along by the reckless HongKong student movement and a constant stream of propaganda from the West on human rights, democracy and freedom she “marched” with the rebels and determinedly wrecked HongKong whilst demanding for independence. For months and years the Western media portrayed them as freedom fighters and as heroes whilst denouncing the Authorities and China as evil.
They destroyed malls, train stations, shops and banks. By engaging hit and run tactics they successfully disrupted airport activities and brought the city centre to a stand still.
With funds and supplies from the West they relentlessly pursued their destructive activities. They used knives, paved stones , arrows, Molotov bombs as weapons . They even killed an innocent citizen through their projectiles, stabbed one on the neck and engulfed another in flame.
The United Kingdom fueled the mind boggling chaos by offering British national overseas visas to the activists which encouraged them to march with extra vigor . But this was only a visa and one that is tailored for HongKong citizens who were bent on leaving HongKong albeit with lots of money in their suitcases.
But the students were blind to the British visa nuance and to the cost of living in the UK . They stayed on the course of destruction . On paper the visa offered them a choice of escape from HongKong but they did not read the fine prints if they ever existed. Remember the saying ” the devil is in the details”.
Finally the HongKong Authority had enough of the student movement and chaos and issued the New Security Law in 2022 .Those who had a reason and the means to leave HongKong did so by way of the British magical visa.
Miss Ho was one of them. She sold everything and left HongKong and took the flight into the safe arms of Britain in April 2022 . She envisaged starting life afresh , getting a good job, getting married and all of her dreams would be fulfilled because she would be a British subject after five years of stay and she would qualify for social benefits that come with citizenship.
No, that dream didn’t work out! Instead her real nightmare just started. For whatever the reason she found difficulty in opening a bank account upon arrival. Her British visa did not qualify her to open one. She allegedly found out she needed a UK identification card number which she didn’t have.
Next, she found out that house rental in Britain was not only prohibitively expensive but that she was regarded by astute landlords with suspicion. Of course they would . Why would a British landlord accept a Chinese girl as tenant when her name was associated with a notoriously rebellious history. Eventually she lived in a modest flat in Richmond that came with a shared and unhygienic toilet.
Miss Ho was a picture of delusion. Britain was not meeting her minimum expectations. With limited funds she was allegedly often surviving on one meal a day . She needed help but found the visit to a psychologist was too exorbitant.
Finally , when living costs soared due to rising cost for food and heating, Miss Ho , with nowhere to turn to, decided to end her life in her rented flat. Days later her lifeless body was discovered along with a suicide note .
When alive she was regarded by the British as an unwanted immigrant and she lived a miserable life in Britain but when she died the coroner was full of praise for her. He said ” Fion is an excellent example of the high calibre of person who is so welcome in England…”
This is the reality. Fiona’s destiny was potentially one of distinction until she joined the band of delusional activists of HongKong who believed in western propaganda only to find out the dream was nothing but a damning mirage.
Hopefully there is a lesson here for the Taiwanese, the Philippines, the Japanese and the South Koreans. If the lesson is learnt then Fion’s life story and death will not have gone to waste.
1st Chinese California Superior Court Judge Lillian Sing (born in Shanghai) speak out against US racism, demonizing Chinese, China and promoting proxy war in Taiwan Province against China.
The representative of China at the United Nations Human Rights Council called on the US, Canada and Australia to seriously reflect on the systematic discrimination and oppression of indigenous peoples in their countries on Wednesday.
The so-called “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,” which maliciously denigrates the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang while disregarding facts and truth, will come into effect on June 21.
The act is the latest example of how the US launches disinformation campaigns against China. Experts noted that starting from funding anti-China think tanks and scholars to authoring malicious, false reports, the hyping up of relative topics in the media, and interference from US politicians, the US government enacts such evil laws. In its mastery of creating disinformation, the US, on April 27, announced the creation of the Disinformation Governance Board under the US Department of Homeland Security. However, the board was shut down after just three weeks after serious concerns were raised.
“The US government itself is the primary spreader of disinformation. German writer Michael Lüders pointed out in his book The Hypocritical Superpower that the US government is very adept at selecting and distorting facts, limiting the source of information, and polarizing public opinion in order to blur facts and influence people’s judgment. When the waters are muddied, it is certainly easier to fish for geopolitical and economic gains,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a media briefing on June 8, in response to a question related to the Disinformation Governance Board.
Last month, former US President Barack Obama’s speech on disinformation and democracy sparked heated discussions. While what he tried to say was that disinformation is harmful to US democracy, many netizens pointed out that his words actually exposed how the US had launched disinformation campaigns in other countries, including meticulous propaganda operations designed to mislead citizens and result in a lack of confidence in their leaders.
“Large-scale propaganda is an important part of the US global strategy to establish, maintain, and consolidate its global dominance. The institutionalized US foreign communication strategy was accelerated after World War II,” Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
Cuban Ambassador to China, Carlos Miguel Pereira, told the Global Times that the US likes to fuel its powerful propaganda machine to present a distorted world view that does not correspond to reality to protect its political interests.
Lüders told the Global Times in a previous interview that the US is “hypocritical because while it always cites higher values, in reality, it pursues a kind of power politic that is tough and cold-blooded. Its reference to ‘higher values’ is being manipulated.”
Experts noted that the US employed “white”, “black” and “gray” propaganda, and the latter two are mostly carried out by agencies such as the CIA and Defense Department in a covert manner. It is estimated that 40 percent of the CIA’s covert operations are propaganda programs.
Three types of propaganda
In 1951, the US government set up the Psychological Strategy Board (PSB), a committee comprised of the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the CIA. In 1953, the Operations Coordinating Board (OCB) under the command of the National Security Council was formed to further propose the US government’s information and psychological warfare programs while the PSB was abolished.
In 1961, former US President Kennedy abolished the OCB as it was believed that secret wars should not be publicly overseen by so many officials. Since then, the agency in charge of psychological warfare became a mystery.
However, based on the analyzed related materials and US government documents, we can still have a broad understanding of how the US conducts information and psychological war abroad, Lü said.
After more than a century of practice, the US formed a complete set of international communications mechanisms. That is, the NSC led inter-department cooperation, to conduct either covert or overt communications operations. They use “idealism” as a cover to achieve their “realistic” interests in their international communication disclosures. This strategic communication, to a great extent, helps maintain US global dominance, Lü noted to the Global Times.
According to Lü, an important characteristic of US national and international communication is that it pursues “ideological thrust” and “weaponized information.” That is to say, all the conveyed messages must serve US national strategic interests and goals.
Lü listed three types of propaganda that the US adopts in its strategic communication.
The “white” propaganda refers to osmotic propaganda based on the government’s public activities, including public diplomacy led by the US State Department and the state-owned media represented by Voice of America.
The “black” propaganda refers to propaganda activities carried out through covert action. Many propagandist activities carried out by the CIA, the Department of Defense, and other agencies fall in this category, which includes a large number of infiltration activities such as secretly controlling domestic and foreign media and buying off politicians.
The CIA has a long history of manipulating media outlets worldwide for its secret propaganda purposes. According to an article in The New York Times in 1977, dozens of English and foreign language publications have been owned, subsidized, or influenced by the CIA over the past three decades. To shape world opinion, the CIA was able to call upon many news outlets in its worldwide propaganda campaign.
Some of its officials admitted to The New York Times that they were concerned about the possibility of “blow-back” – that is – some of the purposely misleading or downright false information spread by the CIA abroad may be picked up by US reporters overseas and included in their dispatches to publications at home.
The “gray” propaganda refers to engaging “opinion leaders” and workers in the media industry in relevant countries to act as spokespersons for US interests by means of behind-the-scenes bribes and inducements, so as to promote the interests of the US and influence the decisions of relevant governments, Lü said.
According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2005, the US military secretly paid newspapers in Iraq to run stories written by US military information operations troops with help from a defense contractor to “burnish the image of the US mission in Iraq.” Nearly $1,500, for instance, was paid to Addustour newspaper to run an article titled “More Money Goes to Iraq’s Development.” The Los Angeles Times also found out that the Pentagon had contracted a Washington-based firm named the Lincoln Group to plant these stories.
The “gray propaganda” and “black propaganda” are mostly carried out by agencies including the CIA and the US Defense Department and the secrecy of these plans is hard to uncover, Lü said.
Scholar Loch Johnson estimated that a full 40 percent of CIA secret operations are propaganda programs. “Whatever foreign policies or slogans the White House may be pushing” at the time, the CIA “will likely be advancing these same ideas through its covert channels,” he said.
Newscasters work on their broadcast at Radio and TV Marti headquarters on Jan 24, 2007 in Miami, Florida. The anti-Castro broadcasting network is overseen by the US Broadcasting Board of Governors. Photo: AFP
US’ harm to the world
Ambassador Pereira told the Global Times that the destabilization campaigns and subversion programs from the US government against Cuba are nothing new.
According to the ambassador, in 2021, the Joe Biden administration asked Congress for $20 million for so-called “democracy in Cuba” programs, and almost $13 million for illegal radio and television broadcasts.
The ambassador said that in 2021, they found that the federal agency USAID granted 12 organizations based in Florida, Washington, and Madrid dedicated to the anti-Cuban campaign, more than $6.6 million, in the month of September alone.
“The US has unleashed a media offensive aimed at discrediting the management of the Cuban government, through the manipulation and politicization of issues such as human rights and the fight against terrorism, as well as generating mistrust around the Revolution, for which it deploys today with full intensity, its subversive component to try to influence sensitive and strategic sectors for the future of the country, such as our youth, through social networks, in which private US platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are known to predominate,” he said.
Such methods include creating Facebook groups, the use of robots and fake accounts on Twitter, or trying to recruit Cuban residents in Miami to spread falsehoods about Cuba as though they were in the country.
During the violent July 11 unrest in 2021 in Cuba, an account based in Spain and managed by US institution posted more than 1,000 tweets a day to fuel the unrest, according to the diplomat.
From 1996 to 2021, the US Congress allocated around $404 million for supposed democracy programs under the Helms-Burton Act, an act seeking international sanctions against the Castro government. Likewise, between 1984 and 2021, the US Congress had allocated nearly $945 million for illegal broadcasts on Radio and TV Martí.
Radio and TV Martí is a Miami-based radio and television international broadcaster financed by the US federal government which transmits news to Cuba.
In November, the Ethiopian government urged the US government and relevant organizations to stop spreading falsehoods about the country.
Ethiopia’s state minister of communication, Kebede Dessisa, said the US government should “refrain from disseminating shameful fake news and defamation regarding Ethiopia,” state broadcaster EBC reported.
The US likes to claim that it acts in the name of freedom, democracy, and human rights but there is a huge gap between this idealism and reality. Their disinformation causes great harm which ordinary citizens have to bear, experts said.
The US used white powder as so-called evidence of possession of weapons of mass destruction then waged war on Iraq, killing about 200,000 to 250,000 Iraqi civilians. Citing a staged video by the “White Helmet” and the false intelligence it provided as “evidence”, the US launched the so-called “most precise air campaign in history” against Syria, claiming more than 1,600 innocent civilian lives in a single strike.
Info war on China
Since the normalization of China-US relations, the US has not abandoned its use of ideological weapons and US intelligence agencies’ rumor mill capabilities to contain China’s development and undermine political stability, Lü said.
Since 2018, the US has incessantly hyped “human rights” topics in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Its modus operandi, as Lü pointed out, includes letting the media first create ambiguous topics, followed by intelligence agencies selecting suitable candidates and presenting them as “fugitives” to accept interviews in the media, followed by so-called research reports by anti-China think tanks. After that, the US government usually mobilizes several “human rights organizations” that it either secretly or openly supports to proliferate the topic and call for “sanctions.” Thereafter, the US government follows the suit.
Zhao Lijian also listed how the US launched a disinformation campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic at the June 8 media briefing.
“You may still remember that the US downplayed the threat and speed of the coronavirus disease’s transmission at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and kept spreading disinformation about the origins of the virus. Disinformation about COVID-19 was rated by a certain US website as “2020 Lie of the Year.” As a result, more than one million innocent American lives have been lost to the virus, making the US the country with the highest COVID-19 death toll as well as the most confirmed cases,” Zhao said.
“The more lies the US government tells, the greater the reputational damage and its credibility deficit,” he said. “The US needs to stop fabricating and disseminating false information, and stop taking pride in being “an empire of lies.”
According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, only about 39 percent of American respondents said they trusted their country’s government, which is nearly the lowest level ever recorded.
The Chinese-language website of Deutsche Welle on Tuesday published a commentary entitled “Maintaining critical dialogue with China is more important than ever.” The article is filled with clichés about so-called “human rights issues in Xinjiang,” which are not worth reading. But the phrase “critical dialogue” in the headline is intriguing. It is in fact the main attitude of the US and other Western countries in communicating with non-Western nations in recent years.
This is, in most cases, an unconscious revelation of American and Western elites’ inner feeling of superiority. But now they put it forward consciously and promote it as an “effective way” to deal with China. This cannot be explained simply by “pride and prejudice.” They did not articulate it in the past, but Western countries have been practicing and enhancing the so-called critical dialogue with China. It has become an approach or even a weapon in the West’s strategic game with China. In other words, they are trying to “lecture” China under the cover of “dialogue.”
In global interactions, disagreements are common. It is also normal to express different views or even criticize without mincing words. However, equal dialogue cannot be based on the premise that some values are superior to others. It also cannot be only one party lecturing or accusing the other. The US and the West’s “critical dialogue” is condescending, and the implied logic is that only they have the ability, qualification and power to determine right and wrong. This means that one party already claimed the moral high ground before the “dialogue” even begins, which dwarfs the development level and moral image of other countries.
Colonialism has long been discarded as something despicable, but Western-centric power structures and mentality have not disappeared completely. Colonialism has been subtly transplanted into various aspects, lurking in Western political language and communication methods. Some elites in the US and the West, with a strong sense of superiority on civilization, regard non-Western countries as candidates waiting for their “approval.” With ideological pointers in their hands, they took to the podium to oversee exams, judge papers, and then grade them based on the “performance” of these countries to determine whether they passed the exam. As for the standard of scoring, it is drawn by the US and the West according to their own historical and social formations, and “Western-centrism” is the only correct answer in all the exams.
In their eyes, only the West is right, civilized and advanced, while those who differ from them are branded as “evil,” barbaric and backward. They forcibly create a dichotomy between “civilization” and “barbarism.” On this fictional premise, they attach moral labels on different practices of other countries, trying to dwarf them in image so that they can “attack others from a high position” as they wish. It is for this reason they recklessly fabricate the lie of “genocide” in Xinjiang, audaciously call for “punishing China” by various means, and frantically threaten to bomb China “back into the Stone Age.”
Sometimes, arrogance is a kind of overbearingness; sometimes, it is also a kind of deep inferiority. In the face of the rise of emerging market countries, including China, and their own troubles, the US and other Western countries are becoming increasingly overwhelmed. Faced with the narrowing gap between them and emerging market countries, they have to rely on slogans of “human rights” and “democracy” to maintain their “absolute advantage.” The reason why they are so sensitive to their position in the dialogue is that they are aware of the disappearance of the absolute advantage they used to have. As a result, they have to deliberately highlight their discourse power to maintain the obsolete power structure behind it, which has become a subconscious reaction.
Even in the fields of human rights and democracy, the US and the West are increasingly lagging behind, relying only on slogans, posturing and fist-pumping to show their “self-esteem,” which is actually laughable to the rest of the world. The West’s self-confidence is collapsing, as the democratization of international relations is increasingly popular and as developing countries’ awareness of their rights is strengthening. Today, if someone still wants to engage in colonialism and ideological hegemony, or even imagines leading other countries by the nose like livestock, no country with national pride and a sense of independence will obey.
Returning to the “critical dialogue,” China has never been afraid of criticism, but firmly opposes hegemony. Times have changed, and US and Western elites should learn to be equal and respectful. Dialogue is necessary, and we welcome “constructive dialogue,” but we reject “critical dialogue.” We would also like to remind that a condescending posture is dangerous, because the farther you are from the ground, the harder you may fall.
Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Thursday sternly refuted the allegations of “genocide” made by the US and the UK over human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang region, after the two countries took a Security Council meeting on international law and maintaining peace and security as a chance to attack China on Xinjiang-related issues. They have also called on another “investigative” trip to Xinjiang on Thursday after they found that the UN human rights chief’s recent visit to Xinjiang had failed to support their “genocide” fallacies about the region.
After frequent gun shooting cases nationwide in the US that caused heavy casualties, including children, the White House and Capitol Hill are trying to show that they are trying to find a solution under pressure from society, as US President Joe Biden said Congress “must act to pass gun control legislation.”
The US, whose flag flies over 750 military bases in more than 80 countries and regions, seems to be sitting on pins and needles after witnessing China sign ONE security cooperation framework agreement with the Solomon Islands. On Tuesday local time, US President Joe Biden met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the White House. Their “shared concern” about China’s security agreement and “China’s Pacific ambitions” were soon placed under the spotlight of Western media outlets.
` ` MAN and nature are running out of time. That’s the core message of the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change …
` In short, historically it was the Church that gave the moral blessing for colonisation, slavery and enocide during the Age of Globalisation. The tragedy is that the Doctrine of Discovery is now embodied in US laws.
Native Americans, refugees from US-initiated wars, Floyds and children separated from their parents at the border will remember the US as the greatest “human …
The masks covering the true face of the US were taken off one after another through the seven stories the Global Times had published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with words such as peace, liberty, security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country’s true visage that has been distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
The masks covering the true face of the US have been removed one after another through the seven investigative stories the Global Times published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with beautiful words such as peace, liberty, security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country’s true visage distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
Fanning the flames to create turmoil, using economic and financial hegemony to sanction opponents, and forming cliques to create political isolation – the US is using its hegemony to undermine the international order.
In fact, the US government’s approach is quite similar to Voldemort’s – they both believe in power, recruit followers, use violence, and repeatedly want to kill competitors in order to maintain supremacy.
Harvard & Cambridge: China’s Era Already? You Bet!
Danny Haiphong. Photo:Courtesy of Haiphong
Editor’s Note:
For the Chinese people, the past decade was epic and inspirational. The country, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, has made great endeavors in boosting its economy, deepening reforms, improving the rights of its people and acting as a responsible power globally.
To help understand China’s progress in the past decade, the Global Times (GT) has launched a weekly series of interviews with scholars from home and abroad, presenting a holistic view of China’s governance philosophy. The following is an interview with Danny Haiphong (Haiphong), an independent journalist in the US and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China as well as a founding member of the No Cold War international campaign, on how China has made human rights protection a priority and how it has taken human rights moral high grounds.
GT: The US Department of State issued the 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on April 12, of which 90 pages are used to criticize China’s human rights conditions. At the same time, 2021 was considered to be the US’ most fatal year in history with more than 460,000 Americans killed by the coronavirus last year. Why does the US care more about human rights of China and other countries than its own record?
Haiphong: The US has politicized human rights for several reasons, none of which have anything to do with genuine concerns about the wellbeing of people. Constant speculation about human rights elsewhere provides a distraction from the shortcomings of the US’ own political and economic system. The US possesses an abhorrent human rights record. An average of three Americans per day are killed by US law enforcement. Nearly one million Americans have died of COVID-19. US wars abroad have taken the lives of millions and destabilized entire regions.
Human rights are also an integral component of US foreign policy. Any nation deemed a threat to US hegemony is condemned for human rights violations. Often, the allegations are unfounded. This is certainly the case in relation to China. The US has spread insidious lies about the so-called human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) to justify sanctions and military encirclement. The US’ politicization of human rights is not only hypocritical, but a true danger to humanity.
GT: Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has prioritized the protection of people’s lives, what kind of human rights views do you think this reflects?
Haiphong: China’s approach to human rights is people-centered. People come first. China’s dynamic zero-COVID strategy is a case in point. Human life is the top priority. This priority has mobilized the entire society in a successful war against COVID-19 which has kept the death toll very low.
This doesn’t mean tradeoffs do not exist. The protection of human life amid a deadly pandemic means that uncertainty and hardship are inevitable. But it is the people-centered human rights approach which keeps China and its legitimate leadership, the Communist Party of China, forward on the path to becoming a modern socialist country by 2050.
GT: How do you see the influence the “coexistence with the virus” policy has had on the US and other Western countries? Western media are attacking and smearing China’s zero-COVID strategy. Why do they suggest China should also “lie flat” in its fight against the epidemic?
Haiphong: The politicization of COVID-19 in the US and other Western countries has created a public opinion crisis. Not only have large numbers of people been misinformed about COVID-19, but many have been convinced that China is to blame for their disastrous conditions. The truth is that the US and its Western allies neglected their domestic and global obligations to properly address the pandemic in the interests of humanity. Now these same countries want to see China plunged into a crisis through the abandonment of its successful strategy to contain the pandemic.
The reasons for this are simple. For one, China abandoning the zero-COVID strategy would validate the endless smears that the US has leveled against it. Furthermore, the US views China’s zero-COVID strategy as a threat to its hegemony. This may seem silly, but it does have a material basis to it. China’s zero-COVID strategy offers hope that COVID-19 deaths and cases can be reduced without completely sacrificing economic growth. The US knows that should China abandon this path, all of its progress would be threatened. This best serves the US’ narrow and selfish interests.
GT: Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized unswerving adherence to China’s path of human rights development, saying living a happy life is the biggest human right for the people. Over the past years, many surveys conducted by Western institutions showed Chinese people’s rising levels of satisfaction with the government’s performance. What does this demonstrate? How do you comment on China’s human rights views?
Haiphong: Widespread popular satisfaction with China’s government is an indicator of legitimacy. China’s socialist governance system serves the people. Human rights development is thus much broader in China than in the West. Economic freedom, or the freedom to a livelihood without poverty, hunger, homelessness and instability is a top priority.
China’s socialist governance system has built a foundation of legitimacy with the people by serving their needs and giving them real reasons to believe that their lives will be better than prior generations.
China’s own human rights views are driven by deep experience with other political systems. During the “century of humiliation,” various political models were imported from the outside without success. This includes the colonial and feudal systems in the 19th century and the Western democratic model in the early 20th century. Only the socialist conception of human rights has been capable of bringing prosperity and a better life to the Chinese people.
One further note. Legitimacy and human rights development in China isn’t a paternalistic affair. The interests of the people not only drive policy in China but the Chinese people possess numerous mechanisms to participate in the running of the country. This means that while China prioritizes economic human rights, political human rights play an important role in facilitating a balanced and harmonious society.
GT: The definition of human rights in the US and the West has become narrower and narrower. They place too much emphasis on political rights while ignore the most basic human rights to survival and development. Why don’t the most basic human rights such as people’s rights to health, survival and development get enough attention in the West?
Haiphong: The West has for centuries been driven by a model of development that places profit accumulation over the rights of the people. And it isn’t just a benign profit that drives all development in the West, but capitalist profit which tends to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few private investors and monopolies. The anarchy of the market reigns supreme, and it is private monopoly capital which essentially dictates government policy. People’s need for housing, gainful employment, and healthcare are viewed as profitable ventures in and of themselves. This means that their administration is built around exploitation rather than human development.
The US, for example, is the so-called richest country in the world yet has millions of people without healthcare, a place to live, or a job that can satisfy the basic needs of survival. Hundreds of thousands of people sleep on the street each night, and still more find themselves filing for bankruptcy due to medical debt. Students attending university carry with them the weight of more than a trillion in collective student loan debt to private loan servicers and banks. Political parties in Washington DC hold the view that these issues are incapable of being resolved but that private military and financial institutions should be subsidized in the hundreds of billions. The US political system doesn’t just ignore the needs of the people, it proactively worsens the economic situation for the majority.
GT: What is the significance of China’s human rights proposition for redefining human rights worldwide, especially for developing countries to explore their own path in human rights development and protecting people’s fundamental rights?
Haiphong: China’s position on human rights provides a model for countries with shared histories of Western-imposed colonialism and development. Sovereignty and respect for self-determination are prerequisites for these countries to choose their own development paths. Unfortunately, due to unilateral measures such as sanctions and unequal trade arrangements, the US and the West have prevented many countries the opportunity to exercise sovereignty in their development paths. This has caused great suffering and strife worldwide.
China’s approach to human rights prioritizes sovereignty and the right to development, and these principles have been applied to the implementation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Economic development serves everyone, not just rich investors inside or outside of China. Furthermore, China’s economic growth has not been achieved through isolationism but rather robust cooperation with all countries on the basis of equality. Developing countries seeking to both exercise their sovereignty while also reaping the benefits of increased global connectivity can look to China as a model of how the rights of the people do not need to be sacrificed for economic growth and vice versa.
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
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
A reality check -The lighthouse of democracy dies down
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US Democracy: A reality check – Promo
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‘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 …
China US Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
Danny Haiphong. Photo:Courtesy of Haiphong
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