Biden warns China over human rights violations
Mount Etna bursts into activity
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has warned China of “repercussions” for human rights violations in Hong Kong and against minority Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
China has drawn criticism for its human rights violations such as its Hong Kong crackdown, the internment of Uighurs in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in Asia, including towards Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
“We must stand up for human rights”, Biden said on Tuesday at his first town hall meeting since taking office, hosted by CNN. “What I’m doing is, making clear that we...are going to continue to reassert our role as spokespersons for human rights at the UN and other agencies that have an impact on their attitude.”
“There will be repercussions for China and (President Xi Jinping) knows that,” Biden added, when pressed if there will be consequences for violation of human rights by China.
Biden said he brought up Hong Kong and the condition of Uighurs in his recent. and first, call with the Chinese president.
“President Biden underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan,” A White House readout of the call had said.
The president did not elaborate on what the “repercussions” would entail. Secretary of state Antony Blinken was more forthcoming in separate remarks in a radio interview.
He indicated curbs on import of products made with use of forced labour in China and export of products to China that could be used to oppress people.
The American president and his officials have faced unrelenting scrutiny of their remarks and pronouncements regarding China and the expectations are for the new administration to continue the hardline positions of the Trump administration, if not to make them tougher.
US warship sails in SCS
A US Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the contested waters.
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”
China claims sovereignty over the entire archipelago, but Brunei, Malaysia, The Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have lodged competing claims.
The US ship’s pass by the Spratly Islands follows a joint exercise by two US carrier groups in South China Sea and another warship sailing near Chinese-controlled Paracel islands earlier this month, suggesting the Biden administration won’t scale back operations challenging Beijing’s claims.