China's Human Rights

While it is difficult to contest the fact that China's Human Rights record is lacking in almost every respect, it is also important to take into account that China is a sovereign nation. Sovereignty doesn't exclude China from criticism, but people should respect its views and methods in so far as those outside of China aren't effected by that which goes on within.

While this may seem cold and calculated, it is important for American's to realise that it can not run the entire world, regardless of its current power status. The Chinese have a long history, and an established form of government. Simply breaking apart China's existing form of government because various policies within this government aren't deemed acceptable by American's may cause the same detrimental effects as American interference with Iraq ... or Afghanistan ... or Panama ... or South America ... or Iran ... or countless others. In some cases interference is necessary, as in the case of Afghanistan because national interests are at stake, but in most cases the costs of US interference far outweigh that which is supposed to have been gained.

Hillary Clinton recently visited China trying to reassure China that their American investments are secure. There is also some speculation that she likewise paid a visit to her Chinese masters to assure them that their investment in her specifically are also secure. The fact that Clinton didn't reprimand China on their human rights record was seen as weakness on her part and greatly criticised. It is difficult to imagine how those criticising envisioned Clinton's reprimand to have gone. Do they feel that Clinton should have disembarked from the air-plane and immediately went on the offensive? Maybe Clinton should have waited until she was surrounded by Chinese officials and then attacked? Of course, after attacking, she would have to throw in a statement like, "But, don't worry, your money is safe with us." ... and then go right back on the offensive? That would have been a great way to further relations between our two powers.

China is a communist nation that is currently the largest economic power in the world. China can destroy the American economy in one quick move by simply selling off its shares of the American Dollar. Of course, by doing so China would loose its number one client and in effect devastate her own economy. However, I feel that China would recover far quicker than America considering the entire world eats off of Chinese plates.

The Associated Press is now reporting that after the Chinese are greatly offended by the US State Departments report on Chinese Human Rights. They claim that the US is interfering in Chinese internal affairs, calling the allegations groundless and making random remarks. The official Chinese Press, Xinhua news agency, wrote about the report that,

It willfully ignored and distorted basic facts, groundlessly assailing China's human rights conditions and making random and irresponsible remarks on China's ethnic, religious and legal systems.

This seems like a planned response. I find it hard to believe that while Clinton was in China she failed to mention that within 2 days of her departure the State Department would release a report on China's Human Rights. More than likely, Clinton brought the report with her so that the Chinese authority would have plenty of time to review it and come up with a well thought out response.

The most interesting point of the AP article is their reference to the Report itself. They write about the Report that,

It said authorities continued to limit citizens' right to privacy, freedom of speech, assembly, movement and association. Authorities also committed extrajudicial killings and torture, coerced confessions from prisoners and used forced labor, the U.S. report said.

A quick analysis of this brings out many key points. First, lets analyze the first sentence, "authorities continued to limit citizens' right to privacy, freedom of speech, assembly, movement and association". If I am not mistaken, after 911 the Bush administration did exactly that to the US population. With his medieval practises, limiting of rights, wiretapping and much more, the American citizen has had his rights greatly limited in exactly the same way mentioned.

As for the next sentence, the only thing that the US doesn't do is use 'Forced Labor', or at least as far as the people know. 'Extrajudicial killings' have been going on for centuries by every form of government, so mentioning them here is a bit much. Of course, China does them far more often, and at times openly, while the US and most other governments do them secretively so it is impossible to track. Regarding 'Torture', even the ex Vice President Cheney has openly admitted to torture, and even gone so far as to justify it. Seeing as how Torture is used to get 'coerced confessions', I feel that this is a redundant statement, but what do I know.

Again, there is no doubt that China's Human Rights Record is completely tainted in blood, and goes far beyond that which America would ever stoop to. However, it is important for people to realise that not everyone agrees with US tactics, especially in world affairs, and not every people can be governed in the same way. Different cultures require different governments, American Democracy doesn't work for everyone, at least not all at once. When forcing a sudden change of government on a people that aren't ready for it, we will simply get another Iraq or Afghanistan. Government changes need to take place over time, otherwise either excessive violence flares out, or Corruption runs rampant.

Echoed on Mizozo.