An anti-China attempt, brewed by the United States, was foiled once again as a China-tabled "no-action" motion was passed by voting Wednesday at the 57th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
This is China's 10th victory over the US-led anti-China bid since 1990. It is also the third consecutive defeat sustained by the United States since 1999 when the Americans failed to get anyone to speak for them and had to come out from behind the scenes to do the job themselves.
With 23 votes for, 17 against, 12 abstentions and one absentee, the 53-member commission approved the Chinese motion, thus rejecting the US draft resolution against China before it was put to the vote.
In his statement to explain China's stand before the vote, Chinese Ambassador Qiao Zonghuai said that within the past 12 years since 1990, the United States has for 10 times instigated or tabled anti-China draft resolutions in the commission.
"Every time it makes the same argument that the human rights situation in China has been deteriorating. This argument is in total disregard of the situation on the ground," Qiao told more than 500 participants at the meeting.
"During these 12 years, China has made great achievements in economic development and social progress and the Chinese people have been enjoying ever higher levels of economic, social and cultural rights," he said. "During this period, as a result of unswerving efforts in building up democracy and the legal system, the Chinese people are able to enjoy civil and political rights to a degree unprecedented both in scope and in depth."
The US standards of human rights are nothing more than double standard and political standards, Qiao said. "The United States refuses to reflect on its own rampant racial discrimination, which leads to the recent severe racial violence in Cincinnati. The United States has also persisted in preventing the international community from showing justified concern over the violation of the legitimate rights and interests of the people in the occupied Palestinian territories."
"Meanwhile, the United States arbitrarily levels accusations of human rights violations against the developing countries. Can this practice be characterized as anything other than double standards? The United States tables country resolutions against countries selected on the basis of political proximity and for the needs of its domestic political expediency. Can this be anything other than typical political utilitarianism?" the Chinese ambassador asked.
(Xinhua 04/19/2001)
