International Engagement In China S Human Rights

Since the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 there has been increasing international pressure on China to improve its approach to human rights, whilst at the same time the Chinese government has itself realised that it needs to improve its approach, and has indeed done much to implement improvements. This book explores systematically the international engagement in human rights in China and assesses the impact of such foreign involvement. It looks at particular areas including criminal justice, labour, and religious freedom, considers the processes by which international pressure is brought to bear and the processes by which improvements are implemented in China, and concludes that, whilst China’s human rights record has improved more than many people realise, further improvements are still needed.

" Assessing China's rapidly changing role on the international stage China is again undergoing a period of significant transition. Internally, China's leaders are addressing challenges to the economy and other domestic issues after three decades of dramatic growth and reforms. President Xi Jinping and other leaders also are refashioning foreign policy to better fit what they see as China's place in the world. This has included a more proactive approach to trade and related international economic affairs, a more vigorous approach to security matters, and a more focused engagement on international cultural and educational affairs. In this volume, China specialists from around the world explore key issues raised by a changing China’s interaction with a changing world. They chronicle China’s emergence as a more capable actor whose engagement is reshaping international affairs in many dimensions. These include: global currency and trading systems; patterns of cooperation and competition in technological innovation; economic and political trends in the developing world; the American-led security order in the Asia-Pacific region; the practice of international military and humanitarian intervention; the use of naval power; the role of international law in persistent territorial and maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas; the international human rights regime; the circulation of Chinese talent trained abroad; a more globalized film industry; and programs to reshape global cultural awareness about China through educational initiatives. Across these diverse areas, China’s capacity—and desire—to influence events and outcomes have risen markedly. The results so far are mixed, and the future trajectory remains uncertain. But across the wide range of issues addressed in this book, China has become a major and likely an enduring participant. "

This book analyzes China's interactions with leading international organizations, and concludes that international engagement is the key to the gradual socialization of "rogue" states.

China’s increasing involvement in Africa is a controversial and hotly debated issue. On the one hand, China has brought significant economic and political opportunities to the continent with large amounts of investment and infrastructure. On the other hand, however, China’s interests in Africa - including international strategy for multipolarity, a boom in China-Africa trade, and a strategic focus on energy – have been challenged as a form of neo-colonialism with claims that support for authoritarian governments has come at the expense of human rights, the environment and good governance. This book analyses China’s responsibility in Africa through the lens of good governance, China’s African policy, policy implementation, feedback from host countries, and feedback from international society. Arguing for a new framework for evaluating China-Africa engagement, it looks at four countries – Sudan (South Sudan), Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia, all of which represent typical features of China-Africa relations – to test China’s impact on the country and to analyse the factors in Africa that affect China’s ability to shoulder responsibility. It proves that China’s responsibility in Africa is affected by both the Chinese and African environments and that China’s positive or negative impacts on the host African countries are largely constrained by the political and economic situation within the host state. Containing information from first-hand interviews with African officials, officials from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, employees from Chinese State-owned enterprises who have been assigned to Africa, and Chinese self-employers in Africa, and using fieldwork from three African countries, this book will be of significant interest to students and scholars of African and Chinese Politics, International Relations and Development.

Addressing the critical issues where commercializm and human rights converge, this insightful addition to the literature on US foreign policy on human rights makes a valuable contribution to the field of international relations.