In response, a Chinese embassy spokesperson stated that the country would not "yield to colonisation of ideas and values" and called on the Liberal politicians to "genuinely repent and redress their mistakes." As of today, they have refused to do so.
It is an interesting choice of words to mention "colonisation," given that China can claim to have legitimate grievances over its treatment by Western colonial powers in the past. However, it used Communism, which originated in Western Europe, as its means to achieve sovereignty.
In more recent years, some critics of China's controversial Belt and Road infrastructure and development initiative contend that it is intended to project its power throughout the world, with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, for example, calling it "new colonialism," and Monika Chansoria of the Japan Institute of International Affairs calling it an "instrument of Chinese hegemony." n other words, it is behaving exactly like a colonial power.
Let's not forget that China has occupied Tibet since 1950, and its human rights abuses there are well documented. It also appears to be gradually tightening its repressive grip over Hong Kong.
China seems to not understand that no nation is above criticism. That's how international relations works. No nation is a law unto itself. It keeps its own citizens on a short leash, but it cannot treat foreign politicians the same way.
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/06/bri-china-belt-road-initiative-blunder/
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/china-and-tibet
https://japan-forward.com/belt-and-road-initiative-debts-reduce-pakistan-to-chinas-client-state/
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/liberal-mp-andrew-hastie-hits-back-at-china-says-he-won-t-repent-for-criticism
No comments:
Post a Comment