[Changleen]

Fair play to them. If the US feels in it is justified in sitting in the pulpit and dishing out pronouncements on others human rights record, then it can't complain when someone else points out it's own failings:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4838038,00.html

BEIJING (AP) - China fired back Thursday at U.S. criticism of its human rights record, issuing a report that denounced the United States for offenses ranging from allowing crime and poverty at home to abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The report - issued annually in response to the U.S. State Department's global human rights survey - accused the American military of committing ``wanton slaughters,'' killing thousands of foreign civilians and torturing detainees.

``The atrocity of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the infringement of human rights of foreign nationals by the United States,'' said the report released by the press office of China's Cabinet.

The State Department survey released Monday accused China's communist government of persecuting dissidents and religious activists and said prison inmates were tortured and mistreated.

Washington is likely to again seek censure of China next month at the annual meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Such motions to censure in the past have been killed by China's allies on the commission.

The Chinese report accused the United States of hypocrisy in condemning conditions in foreign nations while staying silent on its own.

``In 2004, the atrocity of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the dark side of human rights performance of the United States. The scandal shocked the humanity and was condemned by the international community,'' the report said.

``It is quite ironic that on Feb. 28 of this year, the State Department of the United States once again posed as the 'world human rights police,''' it said.

The report cited the case of Zhao Yan, a Chinese woman who was beaten and attacked with pepper spray by a U.S. border guard during a visit to Niagara Falls. The guard has been charged with battering her.

In other criticisms, the report said racism was deeply entrenched in the United States. It said politics were manipulated by the wealthy and dismissed the U.S. electoral system as a ``contest of money.''

The report cited census bureau figures saying numbers of Americans living in poverty had been rising for three straight years to 35.9 million in 2003.

They didn't even mention the latest "Extraordinary rendition" policies. Getting someone else to do your torturing for you. That's just so classy on so many levels.

 

[ohio]

Honestly, while our record is not perfect, China is the biggest glass house on earth to be throwing that stone, especially the racism rock.

If they wanted to issue some stinging criticism without the slathering of hypocrisy, they should go after our environmental policies, which China has admirably surpassed despite double digit economic growth and a reliance on coal power.

 

[Silver]

Are you serious about that? China's got better environmental policies than us?

 

[Changleen]

The point isn't that China is perfect but that the US is not either. The US report doesn't have a US section, so China are just being helpful and providing some external analysis.

 

[ohio]

Are you serious about that? China's got better environmental policies than us?

Quite serious.

They have a harder time enforcing them, but they're actually doing an incredible job considering the geographic coverage required, the pace of expansion (they ADDED as much power to their grid last year as EXISTS in all of California, and still can't keep up with power demand) and the fact that market based incentives don't work very well in a semi-communist and provincial system.

 

[Silver]

Quite serious.

They have a harder time enforcing them, but they're actually doing an incredible job considering the geographic coverage required, the pace of expansion (they ADDED as much power to their grid last year as EXISTS in all of California, and still can't keep up with power demand) and the fact that market based incentives don't work very well in a semi-communist and provincial system.

I haven't done any research on that...but man, that ****ing sucks.

 

[Changleen]

Quite serious.

They have a harder time enforcing them, but they're actually doing an incredible job considering the geographic coverage required, the pace of expansion (they ADDED as much power to their grid last year as EXISTS in all of California, and still can't keep up with power demand) and the fact that market based incentives don't work very well in a semi-communist and provincial system.

They'll get there. I personally find the economic growth figures for China quite exciting.

 

[mack]

They'll get there. I personally find the economic growth figures for China quite exciting.

What about population growth... oh but they had that undercontroll a while ago.

 

[sanjuro]

What about population growth... oh but they had that undercontroll a while ago.

Yeah, they send their girl babies to be smarter and hotter than the average American...

 

[Transcend]

wow, that is priceless. China talking about human rights. Tiannamen square anyone?

 

[Changleen]

wow, that is priceless. China talking about human rights. Tiannamen square anyone?

'Extraordinary rendition'? Abu Ghirab? Gitmo? Falluja? The Patriot Act? Hello Mr. Pot. Meet Mr. Kettle.

 

[mack]

wow, that is priceless. China talking about human rights. Tiannamen square anyone?

That is a sub genre filed under military weapons testing. :dancing:

 

[Changleen]

That is a sub genre filed under military weapons testing. :dancing:

Mack is right. Same way that the death of 100,000 Iraqis is filed under 'spreading freedom'.

 

[mack]

Mack is right. Same way that the death of 100,000 Iraqis is filed under 'spreading freedom'.

Your such a smart ass somtimes.

Is the death toll really only 100k?

 

[Changleen]

Your such a smart ass somtimes.

Thanks!

Is the death toll really only 100k?

It's too high.

 

[JMAC]

Just to add insult to China. I was waiting for the doc today and read an article in an old Time magazine about what a great job China did at screwing over the world by completely covering-up the SARS pandemic that started in China. Basterds, if it wasn;t for their A-hole gov't alot of people would most likely be alive.

 

[fluff]

Just to add insult to China. I was waiting for the doc today and read an article in an old Time magazine about what a great job China did at screwing over the world by completely covering-up the SARS pandemic that started in China. Basterds, if it wasn;t for their A-hole gov't alot of people would most likely be alive.

Ever heard of AIDS?

 

[jon cross]

Mack is right. Same way that the death of 100,000 Iraqis is filed under 'spreading freedom'.

Because waging a controversial war with questionable intent is exactly the same as deploying troops and armor against your own unarmed citizens. Good call.

 

[JMAC]

Ever heard of AIDS?

Yes???? your point???

 

[Changleen]

Because waging a controversial war with questionable intent is exactly the same as deploying troops and armor against your own unarmed citizens. Good call.

No it's not. It's way worse.

 

[N8 v2.0]

but...then again......

U.S. Catches China Transferring WMD Tech to Iran
World Tribune | Tuesday, March 15

The United States has charged that China continues to supply unconventional weaponry and dual-use technology to Iran, despite numerous appeals.

China has transferred components and expertise to Iran's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, officials said. They said some of the Chinese components have arrived via Pakistan, another key ally of Beijing.

"Unacceptable proliferant activity continues," Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Stephen Rademaker told the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on March 10. "We are particularly concerned about continued transfers of CBW- and missile-related technology by Chinese entities to Iran, despite the imposition of sanctions."

The components were said to have included dual-use missile components, raw materials, and expertise to Iran's solid-fuel missile program. Officials said Beijing has also supplied dual-use chemical weapons-related production equipment and technology to Iran.

A key Chinese supplier to Iran has been identified as Q.C. Chen, a Chinese national under U.S. sanctions since 1997. Officials said Beijing has failed to stop Chen, who has sold components to Iran's chemical weapons program.

Another leading Chinese proliferator to Iran and Sudan has been identified as China North Industries Corp., or Norinco. Officials said Beijing has not taken any steps to stop missile and WMD exports by Norinco to the Middle East.

Officials said China has sold major weapons and components to oil-producing countries in the Middle East banned from receiving Western defense systems. They said Beijing has rebuffed U.S. appeals to halt the weapons supplies.

In 2000, Congress formed the commission to investigate and report on national security implications of trade and economic relations between the United States and China. Since 2001, the United States has imposed 60 sanctions on Chinese entities in connection with missile and WMD sales to Iran.

Norinco was said to have supplied advanced weapons systems to Sudan as well as military training to quell the rebellions in the south and in the Darfour province. Norinco was a leading exhibitor at IDEX-2005, which took place in the United Arab Emirates in February.

"Norinco has been particularly active in WMD-related transfers to Iran, resulting in the imposition of U.S. sanctions five times," Rademaker said.

In 2004, China became a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and announced the imposition of penalties on two companies that violated Beijing's missile export regulations. China has also pledged to refrain from providing nuclear supplies to any country that does not honor safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"China needs to do a consistently better job in identifying and denying risky exports, seeking out potential violators, and stopping problematic exports at the border," Rademaker said. "These issues matter to us because China's success in ending proliferation by Chinese entities is critical to ensuring that weapons of mass destruction do not end up in the hands of terrorists or rogue states prepared to use them."

 

[Changleen]

Thanks fot that N8. Once again, the US displays it's incredible powers of hypocracy:

http://economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=3700309

Seems that some 6.7% of Chinese arms imports come from America and only 2.7% from Europe. Maybe you shold stop seeling them weapons before you start whinging about Europe and China 'proliferating' eh?

 

[blue]

Thanks fot that N8. Once again, the US displays it's incredible powers of hypocracy:

http://economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=3700309

Seems that some 6.7% of Chinese arms imports come from America and only 2.7% from Europe. Maybe you shold stop seeling them weapons before you start whinging about Europe and China 'proliferating' eh?

Changleen. Stop. Now. I'm more insanely liberal than you are, and this is BS. China has one of the most absolutely deplorable human rights records EVER. Like, we're talking up there with Nazi Germany. Not quite to Stalin's Soviet Union, but they try. For China to criticize the US is complete bull ****. The US has a terrible record, but the Chinese record for treating people nice nice is at bare minimum ten times worse.

The Chinese can bitch about other people when the rest of the world starts sticking needles full of formaldahyde in infants'(Yes, not fetuses) heads.

 

[Changleen]

Changleen. Stop. Now. I'm more insanely liberal than you are, and this is BS. China has one of the most absolutely deplorable human rights records EVER. Like, we're talking up there with Nazi Germany. Not quite to Stalin's Soviet Union, but they try. For China to criticize the US is complete bull ****. The US has a terrible record, but the Chinese record for treating people nice nice is at bare minimum ten times worse.

The Chinese can bitch about other people when the rest of the world starts sticking needles full of formaldahyde in infants'(Yes, not fetuses) heads.

I never claimed China had a perfect record, I have read about China's record too. Most countries do terrible things in the name of something or another. I am simply pleased that China expresses publicly that they are aware of Americas violations too, and (the US) acting like they represent good in the world is crap.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao warned Tuesday that the United States should look more into its own problems and think more of how to improve its own human rights situation, rather than meddling in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights.

Ask me, that is fair enough.

 

[fluff]

Yes???? your point???

Western govts have had the power for years to save plenty of lives blighted by AIDS. We have no moral high ground from which to attack the Chinese regarding SARS.