Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States on Friday explicitly addressed the most sensitive issue of human rights ahead of presidential level Sino-American summit next week.
Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State minced no words in calling for an overhaul of human rights policy and asking Chinese leaders to let go of the fear of economic slowdown if reforms are implemented, saying, “China’s leaders believe that political reforms could shake the stability of their country and get in the way of its continuing essential economic growth.’
Mentioning examples of South Korea and Indonesia, Clinton assured echelons of Chinese leadership about the positive fallout of reforms, saying, “many parts of the world, where once they realize that denying people the right to express their discontent can easily create more unrest, while embracing reforms can strengthen societies and unleash new potential for development.”
Citing the issue of human rights as “a matter that remains at the heart of American diplomacy,” Clinton stated, “A vibrant civil society would help address some of China’s most pressing issues, from food safety to pollution to education to health care. This promise is already apparent in the work of individuals and NGOs who volunteered after the Sichuan earthquake.”
“The longer China represses freedoms, the longer it will miss out on these opportunities and the longer that Nobel Prize winners, empty chairs in Oslo will remain a symbol of a great nation’s unrealized potential and unfulfilled promise,” cautioned Clinton.
Clinton warned that Washington “will continue to speak out and to press China when it censors bloggers and imprisons activists; when religious believers, particularly those in unregistered groups, are denied full freedom of worship; when lawyers and legal advocates are sent to prison simply for representing clients who challenge the government’s positions; and when some, like Chen Guangcheng, are persecuted even after they are released.”
Addressing a select audience at the inaugural Richard C. Holbrooke Lecture on “Broad Vision of U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century,” Clinton noted that the world would be watching, “next week when President (Barack) Obama welcomes President Hu (Jintao) to the White House.”
Clinton reminded China that,”as a founding member of the United Nations,”there is a commitment “to respecting the rights of all its citizens,” adding,”These are universal rights recognized by the international community.”
She reiterated U.S. “call for the release of Liu Xiaobo and the many other political prisoners in China, including those under house arrest and those enduring enforced disappearances, such as Gao Zhisheng.”
There was explicit mention of the “rights of minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang; the rights of all people to express themselves and worship freely; and the rights of civil society and religious organizations to advocate their positions within a framework of the rule of law.”
Clinton went a step further asking Beijing not to harass or prosecute those who “advocate peacefully for reform within the constitution, such as the Charter 08 signatories.”
“We believe also that when China lives up to these obligations of respecting and protecting universal human rights, it will not only benefit more than one billion people. It will also benefit the long-term peace, stability, and prosperity of China,” promised Secretary Clinton.
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