UN Human Rights Clash Strains Credibility of Chinese Diplomacy

July 2, 2021

On June 22, the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) delivered a joint statement to the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on behalf of 44 countries expressing grave concern about the “repression of religious and ethnic minorities” by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The statement urged “immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers” and also noted continuing concern about the deterioration of freedoms in Hong Kong and Tibet (Government of Canada, June 22).[1]

A press release by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian (赵立坚) noted that Belarus had delivered a joint statement on behalf of 65 countries that supported China and stressed “respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all countries” and “oppos[ed] interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights” (PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), June 22).

Read the full article: https://jamestown.org/program/un-human-rights-clash-strains-credibility-of-chinese-diplomacy/