US and Canada thrown from their high horse: China Daily editorial

It is beyond doubt that China has achieved enormous progress in its efforts to protect human rights. Adhering to its people-centered development philosophy, the country has continually strengthened the protection of human rights under the law.

Yet, even though their own human rights records are not spotless, some Western governments make baseless allegations against China in the name of human rights and impose illicit sanctions on Chinese personnel.

Tuesday marked Human Rights Day. To "observe" it, the United States added two Chinese companies to a trade restriction list for allegedly enabling human rights violations. Canada announced sanctions on eight former and current Chinese officials, citing alleged "state-led" human rights violations. Those in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones. Both countries have glaring human rights issues that give them no saddle on which to sit on a high horse tilting at windmills by smearing and vilifying China by spreading lies about alleged human rights abuses in the country.

The US and Canada — and others — are in no position to lecture countries about human rights and point fingers at the human rights situation of others, nor do they have any grounds to act as a judge and arbitrarily impose sanctions. 

China has repeatedly called on the US and its allies to stop trying to politicize human rights, and to stop trying to harm the Chinese people's interests under the pretext of human rights.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called for the US and Canada to immediately lift their unlawful sanctions against relevant Chinese personnel and stop such malevolent stunts.

Given Washington's well-known attempt to suppress China as an identified strategic competitor, adding more Chinese companies to its entity list hardly raises eyebrows these days. But there is no need for Ottawa to so cravenly fall in behind the US.

Washington is something of a lost cause when it comes to acting with decorum, with the Republicans and Democrats having sunk into a petty game of one-upmanship when it comes to fabricating human rights smears against China. But there is no need for Ottawa to join in.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman responding to a question about Canada's move at a daily news briefing strongly urged Canada to reflect on its actions, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and to stop undermining China's interests and image under the pretext of human rights.

Upbraiding China in a bid to curry favor with the incoming US administration is a fool's game. It only shows weakness, and the US president-elect will take advantage of that.

By acting in concert, Washington and Ottawa have cemented Beijing's perception of a coordinated US-led offensive against itself, which will only further poison relations and undermine what could otherwise be constructive dialogue, and potential cooperation on the advancement of the global human rights cause.