Commentary: West's human rights tactic against China will only fail

Photo taken on Feb. 22, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium shows a screen displaying the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

It still remains in question whether those in the West truly care about China's human rights conditions, or they are just trying hard to avoid the true story.

In fact, more and more countries worldwide have now seen through the West's political machinations, and shared even broader consensus on China's sincerity and desire for human rights protection.

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Once again, Western countries staged another political farce at a key global platform to meddle in China's domestic affairs and smear its human rights records. And once again, they have voluntarily exposed their naked hubris and hypocrisy.

During the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Switzerland, some Western countries attacked China on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet on Tuesday, seeking to peddle their tired lies.

The willful act encountered a sharp rebuff. Belarus, on behalf of 65 countries, delivered a joint speech during the session in support of China's stance, urging observance of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and opposing the politicization of human rights issues, the application of double standards, and groundless accusations against China that are politically driven and based on disinformation.

That's not the first time that a large number of countries spoke out against Western manipulation. Earlier in March at the previous UNHRC session, dozens of countries came out to voice strong opposition to external interference in China's internal affairs and unequivocal support for China's policies in Xinjiang.

A teacher chats with students at Alimalik Village of Akto County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 12, 2021.(Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

In fact, more and more countries worldwide have now seen through the West's political machinations, and shared even broader consensus on China's sincerity and desire for human rights protection. Those Western countries' cheap tactics to contain China under the pretext of human rights will only fail.

Let's examine the facts. China's human rights development in recent years has been impressive, particularly in reducing poverty. China takes a people-oriented approach to human rights, and believes that subsistence and development are basic human rights of paramount importance.

Under such guidance, human rights in Xinjiang have witnessed exceptional improvement. In 2020, Xinjiang eradicated absolute poverty for the first time in its history after lifting more than 3 million residents out of poverty.

Furthermore, because of a series of effective security measures, there have been no terrorist attacks in Xinjiang in recent years. The fact that more than 200 million visits are made by tourists to Xinjiang every year testifies to Xinjiang's growing stability and attractiveness.

Seeing is believing. Xinjiang has kept its door open to those who remain skeptical of what is happening in the region. And as long as they are objective and open-minded, they can easily figure out that their findings in Xinjiang will be what China has all along been telling the wider world.

Foreign diplomats visit the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

China has on several occasions invited ambassadors from Western countries to visit Xinjiang and see with their own eyes the breathtaking changes happening on the ground. Yet they refused to go, raising doubts about their sincerity towards human rights. It still remains in question whether those in the West truly care about China's human rights conditions, or they are just trying hard to avoid the true story.

Those Western countries' hypocrisy on human rights is also reflected in the sharp contrast between their words and deeds. While some Western nations love to boast their commitment to human rights, their actual records are tarnished with appalling incidents.

The remains of indigenous children found in residential schools in Canada, George Floyd's choking cry of "I can't breathe" in the United States, and ethnic minorities subject to discrimination and injustice in Britain are merely the tip of the iceberg and the latest reminders to the world of just how sanctimonious those countries are on human rights.

And it seems that some politicians in those countries only share interests in throwing dirty water onto others, instead of improving the welfare of their own people, like tackling racism, gun violence and forced labor.

No matter how many times a lie is repeated, it is always a lie. Western hypocrisy on human rights has become all too familiar to the world, and the world has had enough. The West ought to understand that using human rights as a tool against China will simply fail.