The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issued its 2011 Annual Report on human rights conditions and the development of the rule of law in China
Congressional-Executive Commission on China, 10 October 2011
CECC — The China of today is vastly different from that of 30 years ago, when major economic reforms began, and even 10 years ago, when China acceded to the World Trade Organization. More people in today’s China enjoy an improved quality of life, economic freedoms, and greater access to information via the Internet and other communication technologies. But economic and technological progress has not led to commensurate gains in China’s human rights and rule of law record.
In the areas of human rights and rule of law this year, China’s leaders have grown more assertive in their violation of rights, disregarding the very laws and international standards that they claim to uphold and tightening their grip on Chinese society. China’s leaders have done this while confidently touting their own human rights and rule of law record. This year, officials declared that China had reached a “major milestone” in its legal system and made “remarkable achievements” in carrying out its 2009-2010 National Human Rights Action Plan, asserting that “civil and political rights have been effectively protected.” China’s leaders no longer respond to criticism by simply denying that rights have been abused. Rather, they increasingly use the language of international law to defend their actions. According to China’s leaders, today’s China is strong and moving forward on human rights and rule of law.
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Please click here to download the report in full:
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt11/AR2011final.pdf