China's influence in the world is growing: the country is not only the largest bilateral lender, thus exporting its idea of "development." The Chinese government is also systematically trying to channel into and anchor its view of universal human rights in international institutions such as the UN Human Rights Council. Political decision-makers do not always find it easy to decipher the Chinese narratives that find their way into UN documents. A joint project of the human rights organizations Amnesty International and Urgewald has therefore identified ten important terms or phrases used by the Chinese government that are already on their way to becoming new standards.
One example: climate destruction and human rights violations take place worldwide, among other things, through the construction of large-scale fossil fuel projects, such as coal and gas power plants, but also through large-scale plantations or mega dams. People are often forcibly relocated for these projects. However, within the Chinese "peoples-centered" concept of human rights, coercion is reformulated as "voluntary resettlement." With such often very flowery-sounding phrases, China wants to subvert internationally adopted principles that are supposed to protect human rights with new meaning.
In the new digital dictionary "What China says, what China means, and what this means for human rights", China expert Nora Sausmikat from Urgewald, together with colleagues from Amnesty International, deciphers ten of these terms and phrases. The website also provides information on which official documents they appear in and the associated risks to long fought for human rights standards.
"Political actors must learn to understand and decode the Chinese concepts. Words are weapons, as Mao once put it," is how Sausmikat explains the purpose of the publication. "Universal human rights must remain linked to internationally formulated rights. We want to help ensure that these concepts are not eroded."
Website link: whatchinasays.org
