Nations reject interference in China's internal affairs

A group of nearly 70 countries called on Tuesday for respect of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and noninterference in other states' internal affairs.

In a joint statement delivered by the Cuban representative on the opening day of the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, they said that issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Tibet autonomous region are China's internal affair.

"We oppose politicization of human rights and double standards, or interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights," the joint statement said.

"We maintain that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations; adhere to the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity; and respect the right of the people of each state to choose independently the path for development in accordance with their national conditions."

The statement was in response to one made by Paul Bekkers, the Dutch ambassador to the UN in Geneva, who said he was "gravely concerned about the human rights situation" in Xinjiang.

The joint statement delivered by the Cuban representative in support of China stressed that all human rights should be treated with the same emphasis, with sufficient importance attached to economic, social and cultural rights, and the right to development in particular.

"Today human beings are faced with multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The international community should uphold multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and coordination, respond jointly to global challenges, advance world peace and development, and promote and protect human rights," the joint statement said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that a handful of Western countries had failed in their attempt to smear China on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet.

"Political manipulation and interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights is unpopular and will never succeed," he told a regular news conference in Beijing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet paid a six-day visit to China in late May. She said that her delegation had wide-ranging and open discussions with people from different sectors in Xinjiang, including prisoners and former trainees of vocational education and training centers. All of the meetings were organized by her delegation.

On Tuesday, Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, said that the UN Human Rights Council has become increasingly politicized and confrontational and featured rampant disinformation, adding that this runs counter to the original purpose of the council.

"Multilateral human rights mechanisms should serve as a platform for cooperation and dialogue, rather than a venue for division and confrontation," he said.