In February 2020, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, described the government’s vision of a “Truly Global Britain” as having three pillars: The first pillar of our Global Britain strategy will be to continue to prove that we are the best possible allies, partners and friends for our European neighbours.
The next pillar of our Global Britain strategy will be the UK’s role as an energetic champion of free and open trade.
Finally, the third pillar of our Global Britain will be the UK as an even stronger force for good in the world.
The Global Britain document recognises and examines the crucial importance of listening to the views of the British people and working with them to improve accountability and policy sustainability. However, there will be times when the government will need to lead, using public diplomacy to better its own citizens.
It argues that having a clearly defined set of core principles, Global Britain values will make it easier to assess policy compliance and coherence.
It will help promote UK foreign policy based on the foundations on which it is built and ensure there is an ethical core running through each policy, providing a solid structure around which to build Global Britain.
It will also help UK policymakers and diplomats use the full range of tools available to the new FCDO and across government (including its newly independent trade policy) more effectively, to better support those clearly articulated values.
It recommends that the government’s integrated review and future foreign policy should:
- Actively engage the British public in developing foreign policy, looking to listen, reflect, explain and respond to their concerns and enhance decision legitimacy and longevity, while conducting public diplomacy to improve public understanding of strategic issues.
- Organise a coherent strategic response to the global erosion of liberal democracy and rule-based order.
- Continue to get its own house in order, particularly in areas of transparency and anti-corruption, and enhance its soft power and ability to promote its values.
- Cultivate democratic solidarity with likeminded democracies and international institutions, coalitions and other ad hoc partnerships.
- Support international mechanisms that defend and promote democracy and human rights, rooted in the principles of informed popular consent and universal capabilities.
- Draft a Global Britain statement of values that clearly articulates the principles it wants as the ethical foundations of its global approach.
- Use a Global Britain values test and social value approach to decision- making to ensure an ethical core in every foreign policy.
- Develop a seamless government approach, ensuring that the institutional structure and all available policy tools, including trade policy, can support this agenda.
How Strong Are Britain and China’s Economic Ties?Economic relations between the UK and China have grown significantly over the past two decades.
In 1999, China was the UK’s 26th biggest export market. It now ranks in sixth place and hit a record high last year, with large infrastructure projects and education playing major roles.
UK trade with China has increased dramatically, including imports, exports and the balance of trade between the two countries.
Last year china was the UK’s sixth largest export market, worth £30.7 bn, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This was a record high, up from £23.4bn in 2018, and the fourth year on year increase in a row.
The Human Rights Situation in China
Human rights include having a suitable life, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to employment and education, freedom of thought, the right to public assembly, the right to democracy, and social security and workers’ rights. Rights refer to a moral or legal entitlement over something and are applicable worldwide. Human rights imply the rights that belong to all human beings irrespective of their nationality, race, cast, creed, gender, etc.
The main difference between fundamental rights and human rights is that fundamental rights are specific to a particular country, whereas human rights have a worldwide acceptance.
Human Rights in China, Freedom of Religion and Beliefs
Regulations, effective as of 1 February, stipulated that religious groups must “follow the leadership of the Communist Party of China…. Persist in the direction of sanitation of religion, and practice core socialist values”. The government sought to bring religious teachings and practices in line with state ideology and strengthen control over both state-approved and unregistered religious groups. Reports document the destruction of thousands of cultural and religious sites, particularly in northwestern China. The state’s repression of religion in Xinjiang and Tibet remains stringent .
People were arbitrarily detained for ordinary religious practices that authorities deemed “Signs of extremism” under the “De-Extremification Regulations”.
The People’s Republic of China has experienced rapid and cardinal changes in its political, economic and societal realms over the past thirty years.
These changes, in conjunction with China’s political and economic policies abroad, have left recognisable imprints on a variety of human rights issues.
- China’s “One Child Policy” is arguably one of the most controversial policies, arousing a wide array of human rights concerns.
- Gender discrimination expresses itself in many societal realms; in the workforce, women are deprived of an equal entitlement to land and right to work.
- In education, the opportunity of primary education for many girls is limited given the unevenness and scarcity of educational resources.
- China’s failure to realise its commitment to providing free compulsory education for children is exacerbated by the large number of migrant families who enter China in pursuit of economic opportunities.
Costly and complicated procedures of enrolment in educational centres hamper the continuation of education for children of migrant families.
Harsh Rules for Muslims in China
There are some repressive measures aimed at undermining the Islamic identity, such as a ban on wearing the veil or burqa, growing a beard by young men, restrictions on prayers in mosques, fasting during Ramadhan, owning a Quran, as well as not avoiding alcohol or tobacco.
What’s Happening in Xinjiang?
More than one million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other minority Muslim groups have been arbitrarily detained in internment camps since April 2017 by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is among the worst violators of religious freedoms in the world and continues to exercise extreme hostility towards members of all religious faiths.
The CCP is waging a targeted campaign against Uyghur men, women and children, and members of other Turkic Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. Documented human rights abuses include coercive population control methods, forced labour, arbitrary detention in internment camps, torture, physical and sexual abuse, mass surveillance, family separations, and repression of cultural and religious expression.
Human Rights Violations in China and Reaction in the UK
Britain on Monday said that Chinese officials will be sanctioned over “Appalling” human rights violations against ethnic Uyghurs in the northwest Xinjiang Province.
In a statement delivered in the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said sanctions will also be placed on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps’ public security bureau.
The UN, US and Canada have forbidden China from travelling to their countries and have blocked the assets of people who have violated human rights.
The foreign ministers of Canada, United Kingdom and the United States have said:
“Today, we have taken coordinate action on measures, in parallel to measures by the European Union that sends a clear message on human rights.”
The UK Could Boycott Winter Olympics in China for Human Rights Violations
The foreign secretary said he would “consider” action against China for its “Serious and egregious human rights violations” against Uyghur Muslims, and did not rule out asking Prince William, often sent to attend international sporting events on behalf of the government, not to go to the games due to be held in 2022.
China has been accused of oppressing and breaching the human rights of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang Province. China says that the claims are “baseless” and has categorically denied being responsible for any mistreatment, saying the Uyghurs live in “peace and harmony”.
But Mr Raab said on Tuesday there was “evidence of serious human rights violations” against the minority group.
Conclusion
The facts show that China is committing human rights violations; hence, China and the UK are not on good political and economic terms. The UK and the US have boycotted China over this matter.
