politics
US Reduces Emphasis on Human Rights in Talks With China
The current US administration has placed less focus on human rights issues during discussions with Chinese officials compared with prior administrations. The approach was evident during recent talks in Beijing where the case of detained activist Jimmy Lai received limited attention. The shift coincides with changes in both US policy priorities and China's growing international stance.
May 15, 7:30 PM·2m read1 source
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This represents a departure from the practices of previous administrations, which more frequently raised concerns about activists, religious minorities and political prisoners during meetings with Chinese leaders. " The US president later told Fox News that human rights had been discussed during the two-hour summit, including the Jimmy Lai case and the situation of several detained pastors.
The Chinese leader was reported as "seriously considering" releasing the religious leaders, who were targeted during a crackdown on Christians. Relatives of the pastors welcomed the development.
US leaders took more visible positions on rights issues during visits to China. When George W Bush visited Beijing in 2008, he attended a Sunday church service to highlight religious freedom. During his state visit the following year, Barack Obama urged then-president Hu Jintao to reopen talks with the Dalai Lama.
In 2012 the Obama administration assisted the evacuation of blind human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng after he escaped house arrest. Support for such cases has been credited with improving prison conditions or reducing harassment for some Chinese activists, according to Thomas Kellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University.
The reduced emphasis occurs as activists describe a worsening situation for human rights defenders in China. Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, authorities have cracked down on civil society, punished feminist activists, narrowed space for religious and ethnic expression, and made crushing dissent a priority.
