cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/43885905
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Over the last several years, the Chinese government has issued high-level statements about the importance of peace and positioned itself as a broker between Russia and Ukraine, the Myanmar junta and armed groups, and Iran and Saudi Arabia.
But at the same time, they have allowed the export of arms and materiel to Sudan and Myanmar and of censorship and surveillance technologies to Pakistan, Kazakhstan and the Solomon Islands, just as examples.
They have made it clear that, when it comes to Russia, the two countries are “true friends” and “good neighbours” — and that China’s markets remain open to Russian business.
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Nowhere else is the contradiction between lofty Chinese diplomatic ideals and calculated action more clear than in Taiwan [which] is facing escalating military threats from the Chinese military, as fighter jets and warships routinely cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait and large-scale blockade drills are staged around the island.
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If China truly understands the devastation of World War II — as it claims in its commemorative reflections — it should recognise that threatening the lives and freedom of millions in Taiwan is a betrayal of the very lessons it proclaims to have learned.
Another measure of China’s commitment to dialogue and cooperation is the extent to which those activities — inherent in the “genuine multilateralism” that the government claims to uphold — actually result in concrete improvement at home.
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Key examples include the repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the criminalisation of the defence of human rights across the country, the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong and the ongoing efforts to curtail cultural and linguistic rights of Tibetans.
These are not isolated incidents — they are systemic violations that demand international scrutiny. And yet when European countries seek dialogue on these issues — on the occasion of bilateral visits, or for the EU-China Summit — China consistently dismisses efforts to raise human rights concerns as “interference in internal affairs” and attacks on its sovereignty.
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China’s narratives of partnership will remain hollow until it ceases its threats against Taiwan and others and addresses the human rights abuses within its own borders.
Only by confronting these contradictions can we build a future grounded in genuine peace, justice, and mutual respect.