The relationship between the United States and China may be the most important bilateral relationship in the world. “The United States has a record 224 billion dollar trade deficit with China, the largest with any country and China is the largest holder of [the] U.S. treasury [notes],” author William Schultz notes. Since this relationship is so important, U.S. policymakers should encourage positive change in China’s human rights practices, Schultz argues.
Major human rights that are abused in China include press freedom, with tight control of media content and the flow of information. For example, parts of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural speech were censored despite the fact that there was no direct mention of China in his speech. The translation was missing the part of the speech when Obama said “to those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
Other human rights abuses include violations of labor rights, women’s rights, repression of religious and spiritual groups and excessive and often secret use of death penalty. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Freedom House regularly catalogue all of the above, as does the U.S. State Department.
At a Center for American Progress (CAP) event William F. Schultz, senior fellow and author of Strategic Persistence: How the United States Can Help Improve Human Rights in China, spoke on how social and economic rights in China are as important as civil and political rights, which are constantly violated. CAP describes itself as a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunities for all.
It is important to improve human rights in China so that the country can have more reliable relationships and because cheap Chinese labor undercuts U.S. jobs.
In order to improve human rights in China Schultz says “the U.S. should key attention to strategic opportunity, find ways to reinforce what China does right, globalize principles on China and hold a dialogue on China and human rights.” Constantly promoting human rights and democracy in China is one way to prevent human rights abuses.
Harry Harding, professor, Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and Louisa Caon Greve, Program Director for East Asia at the National Endowment for Democracy also spoke on how the U.S. should promote positive change in China’s human rights practices.
Harding believes “the U.S. needs China’s cooperation and that the U.S. should provide support and positive development to China.”
Coan Greve said “the struggle to establish human rights is internal and different things have to come together for change to occur.”
Past efforts by the U.S. to encourage human rights in China have resulted in little progress. Shultz said “at least 16 resolutions critical of China have been introduced and/or passed by the House of Representatives, the Senate or both chambers since 1990.”
In order for the U.S. to go forward in developing human rights in China there need to be specific policies that are understood within the United States itself. Some policy recommendations made by Schultz are to use the United Nations to the fullest extent possible, address labor standards through World Trade Organization and International Labor Organization agreements and to raise specific human rights concerns in all appropriate bilateral contexts.
It should be noted that the UN, the WTO, and the ILO, have never shown any particular inclination to challenge, let alone chastise, China.
Once human rights and democracy are promoted and obtained China will become the highly respected global leader it aspires to be.
Alanna Hultz is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
