A woman mourns for her relative at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct 21, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the general debate of the Third Committee of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Sun Lei exercised China's right of reply and rebutted claims made by representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan and the European Union. This was a necessary response to correct yet another politicized spectacle where human rights are weaponized against developing nations.

Sun strongly criticized the delegations from these countries for repeatedly abusing the UN platform to smear China under the pretext of issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang. He expressed China's firm opposition to this deliberate disruption of constructive international dialogue, noting that such actions represent a profound misunderstanding of human rights and a regression to a Cold War mentality. China consistently opposes the politicization and weaponization of human rights issues and rejects using them as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs.

Sun's remarks were not merely a rebuttal of the claims but an exposition of the truth. While certain countries selectively point fingers, China has been making historic, comprehensive progress in human rights. The most fundamental human right is the right to survival and development — a principle China has upheld by lifting nearly 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction. This monumental achievement, secured through decades of sustained effort, has guaranteed basic living standards and dignity for hundreds of millions of people, and involved the creation of the world's largest education, social security and healthcare systems.

The hypocrisy of the accusing nations was laid bare when Sun listed their human rights violations.

The UK was urged to address its worsening racism and confront the historical legacies of colonialism.

Australia was asked to end discrimination against its Indigenous people and provide compensation for war crimes committed by its soldiers in Afghanistan.

Canada was called on to confront its history of cultural genocide against Indigenous communities and combat white supremacy.

The EU, acting as a self-appointed "lecturer on human rights", was advised to solve its own severe violations against refugees and migrants.

The allegations against China — that Sun rightly termed "microphone diplomacy" — expose the double standards and colonial mentality that still pervade international relations. The finger-pointing countries assume the right to judge others while being unwilling to scrutinize their own behavior. Their actions undermine the very principles of international human rights and the spirit of the UN Charter, which emphasizes cooperation based on equality and mutual respect.

The Chinese path to human rights protection is rooted in its national conditions. As the world's largest developing country, China has always prioritized the rights to subsistence and development as primary, foundational human rights.

This people-centered philosophy, embedded in the governance of the Communist Party of China, has transformed the nation and empowered its citizens. It represents a development model that resonates with many developing countries, demonstrating that human rights are not a one-size-fits-all concept but must be pursued in a manner consistent with a country's history, culture and social system.

China urges these accusatory countries to engage in serious self-reflection and focus on solving their own problems. The international human rights cause is a shared endeavor that requires constructive dialogue and mutual learning, not confrontation and blame games. Fairness and justice lie in people's hearts, and the truth is evident to the world. It is time to replace such accusations with a genuine constructive dialogue so as to collectively build a community with a shared future for humanity where universal human rights can truly flourish through cooperation.