China urges U.S. to drop double standards on human rights

A protester holds a sign near the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"Human rights are not slogans, let alone tools to exert pressure on other countries. They should reflect in concrete actions," Hua said.

She said some U.S. politicians focuses on the interests of political parties and do not care about the lives of ordinary people.

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday expressed hope that the United States and some of its Western allies can abandon double standards, face up to their own human rights problems, and take concrete actions to improve and protect human rights.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily news briefing when responding to the U.S. State Department's comments on a China-sponsored resolution, titled "Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights", which was adopted on Tuesday by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

"Human rights are not slogans, let alone tools to exert pressure on other countries. They should reflect in concrete actions," Hua said.

She said some U.S. politicians focuses on the interests of political parties and do not care about the lives of ordinary people.

She said that the United States keeps saying that it attaches importance to individual human rights and freedom. Hua asked, however, when the United States launched wars against sovereign countries for no reason, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, countless people separated and displaced, did they care about the individual human rights and freedom of the people of these countries?

Hua asked, when the United States, the most developed, richest, and most advanced country in medical conditions in the world, puts politics above science, which left more than 500,000 Americans dead, tens of millions of people losing their medical insurance, and one-sixth of Americans and one-quarter of American children faced with the threat of hunger, did they care about the individual human rights and freedom of the American people?

Hua asked, when the United States connived to spread racist speech, indulged police violence against people of color, watched people like George Floyd unable to breathe, and watched Asian Americans be discriminated against, attacked, or even killed, did they care about the individual human rights and freedom of these people who suffered from systemic racism and hate crimes?

She asked, when the flood of guns in the United States dragged on for a long time, and more than 41,500 people died from shootings last year, did they care about the individual human rights and freedom of these victims?

The China-sponsored resolution adopted by the UNHRC on Tuesday, titled "Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights," calls upon all states to uphold multilateralism, conduct constructive dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. "This fully demonstrates the universal aspirations and calls for justice of the international community and the people of the world," she said.

She added that China is willing to conduct dialogues, communications and exchanges with other countries on human rights issues in the spirit of equality and mutual respect, and make common progress.

Hua noted that this year, when the UNHRC reviewed the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by the United States, more than 110 countries criticized the United States for its human rights issues. Dozens of special rapporteurs of the UNHRC repeatedly criticized the United States on many occasions for issues such as poverty and discrimination against minorities in the country.

"We hope that the United States and some of its Western allies can abandon hypocrisy, arrogance and double standards, face up to their own human rights problems, and take concrete actions to improve and protect human rights," Hua said.

Foreign media recently published photographs of a temporary detention center at the U.S.-Mexico border, showing children sleeping crammed together on thin blankets and lacking food and clothing. Critics say the U.S. government is treating immigrants inhumanely, separating children from their parents, and accusing the U.S. government of not allowing media access to the detention centers.

"Will the United States do a thorough investigation and hold those involved accountable? Does the European side want to impose sanctions on the United States for human rights violations?" ■