Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country’s human rights record on Wednesday, telling a visiting UN official there is “no need for ‘preachers’ to boss around other countries.”
Xi’s remarks, made in a video call with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, are likely to add to the controversy surrounding a trip that critics say risks becoming a propaganda tool for Beijing.
Bachelet, who arrived in China on Monday for a six-day tour, is expected to visit the far-western region of Xinjiang, where the Chinese government faces accusations of mass internment, forced assimilation, forced labor and forced sterilization against Uyghur and other mostly Muslim minorities.
Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations.
But the trip — the first by a UN human rights chief to China since 2005 — has been dogged by questions about Bachelet’s access and freedom to speak with locals unsupervised, raising fears it risks the credibility of her office.
On Wednesday, Xi told Bachelet China’s human rights development “suits its own national conditions.”
“On the issue of human rights, no country is perfect, there is no need for ‘preachers’ to boss around other countries, still less should they politicize the issue, practice double standards or use it as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs,” Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
According to CCTV, Bachelet said she admires China for its “efforts and achievements in eradicating poverty, protecting human rights, and realizing economic and social development.”
“I attach great importance to and cherish this visit. I will have extensive contact and direct communication with the Chinese government and people from all walks of life. I believe this visit will help me better understand China,” she was quoted as saying. (CNN)