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China's Rise and the Implications For

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China's Rise and the Implications For 7 0 0 2 CHINA’S RISE AND , 1 . O THE IMPLICATIONS FOR N M U R INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS O F S T H G I R A N I H BY DAVID KAMPF C China’s growing international power will 3 challenging enemies to respect human rights principles but 4 increasingly rival the U.S. in its potential not necessarily doing so itself . Recent U.S. actions , including the indiscriminate “war on terrorism ,” indefinite detention S to influence human rights outside its borders. and extraordinary rendition , allow other countries to rational - N O I At present, China’s influence on human rights ize their own actions such as discrimination and internal sup - T U T pression. American exceptionalism has damaged international I —both domestically and internationally—has T human rights. Chinese exceptionalism threatens more of the S N been negative. It needn’t be. I same. D N Over the last two decades , China’s economic growth rate A World powers have the luxury and ability to affect the interna - has averaged just under 10 percent a year .This unprecedented S N O tional human rights movement and shape human rights and unmatched development has altered the balance of world I T A norms. As a world superpower, the United States has been power. No longer is China’s clout dwarfed by that of the L E instrumental in the evolution of human rights—both helpful United States and Europe. China’s influence is apparent , and R L in developing mechanisms of enforcement and harmful in increasingly China’s “peaceful rise ” will have implications for A N O negating their authority. China’s rise threatens to challenge U .S. human rights not only domestically but also around the globe. I T dominance . How will China’s growth transform the equation? China’s economic and political power compels countries to A N China’s burgeoning economic and political power will have reduce their pressure on its domestic human rights record and R E T mounting ramifications for international human rights by pro - makes it easier for China to disregard world condemnation and N I viding the opportunity to dictate the extent to which human scorn. Its emerging sway in international affairs will increas - rights are defended outside and inside its borders. ingly dictate how successfully human rights are defended out - Human rights are inextricably linked to the political envi - side its borders. The status of international human rights will ronment fostered by dominant nations. Ideally, human rights greatly depend on whether or not China decides to become a organizations and individual countries would be able to alter responsible global power and emphasize the importance of international norms in a way that makes it more difficult for universal human rights. countries or companies to commit violations. Realistically, however, powerful groups selectively and opportunistically China’s influence on human rights outside its borders choose when to follow human rights norms and when to flout China’s rapid and consistent economic growth has increased its them when they are unenforceable. Human rights have presence and relevance in world affairs. Businesses and become the voice of diplomacy —justifying inaction and investors are pouring into its domestic market to benefit from action —but descend to little more than rhetoric when they the seemingly unending expansion, and many countries are hinder the accomplishment of strategic goals. attempting to spur their own economic growth by working to The United States has remained at the forefront of the improve trade relations with China. Trade ties and its economic human rights movement since the end ofWorldWar II. Due to pull have provided China with escalating leverage in the its visibility and power, international norms depend on U .S. domestic affairs of other countries. support and encouragement, while its guarantees of political China’s integration into the world economy has gone hand- and civil rights (including freedom of speech and religion) in-hand with deepening security and political relationships and its imperfect but vibrant democracy inspire less powerful with countries throughout Asia and the world. China has nations to extend the same rights to their citizens. On the other proactively fostered stronger political and military partner - hand , fundamental human rights, as embodied in the Univer - ships through regional and multilateral institutions , including sal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Shanghai Coop - conventions, are not the core of U .S. foreign policy. The U .S., eration Organization. Armed with its United Nations Security like a number of other countries, applies a double standard by Council veto and growing strength, China maintains influence Chinese President Hu Jintao accompanies Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe at a welcoming ceremony in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in July 2005. Photo: AFP/Getty Images over major international negotiations and events. In the future, human rights record . Diplomatic and economic relations are China has the potential to effectively counter the power of the developed regardless of political realities (unless a nation recog - United States. nizesTaiwan as an independent country). China’s philosophy is based on the assumption that sover - What impact will this have on international human rights? eignty rests with a nation’s government. This ignores, however, Traditionally, the international human rights movement has the evolving definition of sovereignty. The human rights move - focused on civil and political rights. Economic, cultural and ment argues that sovereignty rests with the people and cannot social rights have received less attention from the United States be dehumanized ; therefore territorial integrity can and should and to some extent Europe. Ensuring equality is arguably less be broken if part or all of the population is victim to gross tangible , and a sensitive subject to many countries. This is why human rights abuses .The movement insists that the world can - the rights embedded in the Universal Declaration were split not sit idly by , and that signatories of the Convention on the into the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 1 have a and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural “responsibility to protect .” Intervening to prevent wide-scale Rights. China’s rise has the potential to shift the emphasis from suffering is allowed and encouraged. civil and political rights to a broader and more inclusive defi - China’s policy of politely avoiding the human rights record nition of human rights if China moves the conversation in this of other countries has been convenient as it covets raw materi - direction .This, however, seems unlikely as China is experienc - als and seeks to quench its ever-growing thirst for oil. “Busi - ing emerging problems of inequality and signed and ratified ness is business. ”2 This permissive policy has allowed China to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural cozy up to some of the world’s most repressive regimes , Rights as recently as 1997 and 2001, respectively. including Sudan, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Myanmar . Even China’s foreign policy revolves around the principle of non- when the United States and Europe attempt to isolate, sanction, intervention in the domestic affairs of other sovereign states .Ter - criticize and alter the behavior of despots, China provides ritorial integrity is imperative for the world’s peace and security diplomatic cover for its allies and enables autocrats to continue and sovereignty is held above all else. It asserts that outside pow - abusive policies. China has been under increasing pressure to ers are arrogant to believe that they can and should compel gov - use its influence to curtail violations, but has thus far only ernments to change. China feels that its interests are best served softly nudged the worst abusers . In order to retain its eco - when it avoids entanglement in the affairs of others , and its nomic links, China practices “quiet diplomacy ,” and does little hands-off policy is a useful way to deflect criticism from its own to pressure violators of human rights. 7 China’s tolerance of human rights abuses is demonstrated Despite the severity of the conflict and the government’s 0 0 in its foreign aid strategy. China has been courting countries in complicity and continued involvement, China has cemented its 2 , 1 Africa with trade incentives, aid, low- or no-interest loans and strong friendship with the regime and has negated the seclu- . O forgiveness of debt to gain access to natural resources. Presi- sion and demands imposed by other world powers. In Febru- N dent Hu Jintao and Prime MinisterWen Jiabao welcomed ary 2007, President Hu Jintao spent two days in Sudan on his African leaders to a Sino-Africa forum in Beijing in November trip to Africa.While acknowledging the need for change and 2006, and both have made numerous trips to Africa with offers signaling his support for an improved and enlarged peacekeep- M U to construct railroads, roadways and ports.Trade between ing force, Hu went on to bolster one of the guilty parties – the R O China and Africa jumped 40 percent in 2006 to reach $55 bil- Sudanese government. China buys two thirds of Sudan’s oil F S lion after several years of steep growth.3 China now receives a exports and sells the government military weapons, planes and T H 4 6 G third of its oil from the continent of Africa. helicopters, thereby directly assisting the perpetrators of gross I R Aid from China is simply a matter of economics and is not human rights violations and contradicting China’s policy of A N tied to political and social factors. Internal politics are left noninterference.
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