Interaction between Mainland China and the UN Human Rights Regime

Abstract

As many observers have noticed, China has become increasingly confident in the area of human rights, an issue where it used to be criticized very often. Its signing both the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in October 1997 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights one year later just reflects this rising self-assurance. This paper investigates the early interaction between China and the United Nations human rights regime and traces how China managed to rise from a pariah state right after the 1989 Tiananmen massacre to today`s self-designated representative of the Third World`s voice which emphasizes community rights and the right to development over individual rights and political rights. In conclusion, while the ”divide and conquer” strategy currently adopted by China has dramatically affected global human rights politics, this strategy has not yet dominated the scene. Meanwhile, the idea of human rights has gained ground in China. Undoubtedly, human rights would continue to be a persisting issue for Chinese leaders, with pressure coming from both without and within.