Firm ally vs HR critics

The Philippines can bank on China’s support against groups weaponizing human rights, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured his counterpart President Rodrigo Duterte during a bilateral meeting last Thursday at the start of Mr. Duterte’s fifth official visit to the Asian economic powerhouse.

Duterte fully respects Chinese law and its right to uphold the rule of law regarding Hong Kong

“On issues such as human rights, China will continue to firmly support the Philippines’ efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and resist external interference,” Xi said.

In response, state-owned China Daily said Mr. Duterte fully respects Chinese law and its right to uphold the rule of law regarding Hong Kong.

Last July, China voted “No” to the Iceland resolution calling for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to probe the alleged violation of civil rights in the conduct of the war on drugs.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. then denounced the Iceland resolution as not being “universally adopted” making its validity “highly questionable.”

“It does not represent the will of the Council, much less that of the developing countries who are always the target of such resolutions,” the top diplomat noted.

He noted that Western countries pushed for the resolution “in the confidence that the world has forgotten what they did and what should have been done to them had there been a Human Rights Council.”

“It was pushed with the arrogance that developing countries must not stand up to them even if we can and as we hereby do. There will be consequences,” Locsin indicated.

He branded the resolution as a “travesty” rather than a “triumph” of human rights.

China expressed support to the government’s position. Beijing also backed an earlier decision of Mr. Duterte to withdraw the country from the International Criminal Court, which had started a preliminary examination of a “crimes against humanity” complaint of lawyer Jude Sabio against the President.

“We have said before that since he took office, President Rodrigo Duterte has firmly cracked down on drug-related crimes and improved public security, which creates the sound environment for the Philippines’ economic development and its people’s peaceful life and wins full approval and wide support at home,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.

“The international community should give more understanding and support to those efforts instead of pointing fingers and casting blames,” Lu added.

Xi, in his address welcoming President Duterte to the bilateral meeting, said, “Under the two sides’ joint efforts, bilateral ties smoothly realized taking an upturn and scoring consolidation and uplift and continuously achieved tangible outcomes, during President Duterte’s administration over the past three years.”

“At present, the international and regional situations are undergoing profound and complex changes. However, peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit are still an irresistible trend of the times,” Xi noted.

The Chinese leader said he is willing to work with Mr. Duterte to continue to grasp the trend of the times from a strategic and long-term perspective, leading the sound development of bilateral ties.

“This will not only benefit the two countries and their peoples, but will also add positive energy to regional peace and stability,” he expressed.