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Amnesty International and a pro-Tibet group voiced shock Friday after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed not to let human rights concerns hinder cooperation with China.
Paying her first visit to Asia as the top U.S. diplomat, Clinton said the United States would continue to press China on long-standing U.S. concerns over human rights such as its rule over Tibet. "But our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis," Clinton told reporters in Seoul just before leaving for Beijing.
T Kumar of Amnesty International USA said the global rights lobby was "shocked and extremely disappointed" by Clinton's remarks.
"The United States is one of the only countries that can meaningfully stand up to China on human rights issues," he said.
"But by commenting that human rights will not interfere with other priorities, Secretary Clinton damages future U.S. initiatives to protect those rights in China," he said.
Students for a Free Tibet said Clinton's remarks sent the wrong signal to China at a sensitive time.
"The U.S. government cannot afford to let Beijing set the agenda," said Tenzin Dorjee, deputy director of the New York-based advocacy group.
China has been pouring troops into the Himalayan territory ahead of next month's 50th anniversary of the uprising that sent Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama into exile in India.
"Leaders really need to step up and pressure China. It's often easy to wonder whether pressure makes a difference. It may not make a difference in one day or one month, but it would be visible after some years," Dorjee said.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had sent a letter to Clinton before her maiden Asia visit urging her to raise human rights concerns with Chinese leaders.
Before she left, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said human rights would be "an important issue" for Clinton and that she would "raise the issue when appropriate."
China has greeted President Barack Obama's administration nervously, believing he would press Beijing harder on human rights and trade issues than former president George W Bush.
© Wire reports
18 Comments
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Jay Que
as america becomes more communistic, with private enterpise succumbing to an every larger government role in GDP... expected to rise over 45-50% of GDP in 2 years time, china needs to be strongly encouraged, pressed, cajoled, shamed into, becoming more democratic, 9real democracy with multi-parties formed freely, dems, repubs, greenies, agries, whatever) but that will only come with a new revolution, one we can only hope will be peacefull and relfective of what america seems to be losing: right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. maybe our / us's loss with the their gain. hope so. at least someone's got to be free. otherwise, welcome to greater economic slavery and ever diminished hinman rights. unfortunatley communism has not gone quietly into the night, its still around and its still bad, like a political mafia with no real scruples. like the clintons!
chonglai
And after the incident in US military-run detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, it is hard to listen to any American human rights preaching coming out of America. So Obama did the sensible act of closing it down, and Clinton is doing the next sensible act of raising the human rights issue in China, at the right time. All in all, Americans have destroyed their own bargaining chip in the form of human rights, with their own American people disregarding human rights of non-Americans, at Guantanamo Bay.
SuperLib
The human rights situation is about to get worse in China, especially when the rural uprisings begin.
Papawhale
Why would anybody be surprised by Hillary's lack of action on human rights? she's a corporate hack, just following her corporate hack boss's orders.
presto345
I think Hillary Clinton is aware of her country's and the world's priorities. She has a very good grasp of what is important right now.
solarbuster
Human rights can only be corrected internally the Chinese people have to change the thinking of the government. Interferience from outside of a country only unites the people within and the hard liners making life even harder for the people you try to help. When all the people shouting about human rights, provide their own people with humanitarian services like free medical services and house all their own homeless and provide EQUAL protection by law, then they can show by example how the rest of the world should live.
some14some
Human Rights subject is an optional subject, it was a luxury for advanced countries during golden economy times, not now, dropped completely.
WayneRooney10
Maybe the Tibetan language has no words for hope or for change.
30061015
Wow, so many crisis, so few human rights.
linro
People tend to forget that China was as hard lined as north Korea not to long ago,and forget that China is changing all the time for the better. China is far more open today,and are more willing to change and play a more important roll in the world arena, it would not be in the interest of the human rights activists to have Clinton go closing the doors again and the process of change is not over.The new administration is facing a major world economic problem brought on by the last administration and this could lead to a worse problems like starvation and war unfortunately its a bit of a catch 22 for the activists and that is the shocking reality!
jeancolmar
The party is over. Welcome back to American empire at work. China is a major trading partner and it is holding the rotten US economy by the short hairs. What did you expect from Clinton? When it comes to North Korea, which has no real power, Clinton kicked like a sick and toothless dog. (Like a lot of toothless dogs North Korea growled.) In China she was not about to tell her powerful hosts the truth about themselves. It was smiles and gourmet Chinese food. There is nothing new in this. The US has a long history of sucking up to dictatorial regimes, and often installing them in place of pesky democratic governments.
skipthesong
China may not match the United States' military might" other than its navy, I thought they were!
bebert
On what planet do these bed wetters live? 1930-land? All China has to do is stop showing up at U.S. debt sales for 6 months and the U.S. would hand over the Dali Lhama himself. China may not match the United States' military might, but they could easily kick out the last leg of the rotting porch that is the U.S. economy. America's days of hectoring China and Russia are over. I don't even know if they could wrest more holocaust reparations out of Europe.
Statistician
What did her husband do on Tibet when he was in power?
skipthesong
there is a time and place for everything. People need to give her a bit of a chance. I am sure Hillary cares but right now is not the time. The administration will set the right time for it to e discussed however, once it is said how many here will call her a hypocrite?
adaydream
I think that Hillary Clinton cares to a point. Right now she's concerned about a lot of stuff and human rights being one of many, but she can't allow that to stop what's in the works.
China has come a long way, but no where close enough, yet. By keeping them involved in matters that concern both countries we can continue to work on it. But to put human rights above all and not do anything else till they're human rights agenda meets ours.
Human rights will always be a part of all agendas but with-in reason. < :-)
kanadamanada
Wake up America! You've handed the keys to Beijing.
cow76
Activists are shocked? I don't think anyone is shocked. And even when America "condems" China, it just means: carry on, we don't care.