Key Points
- China has denounced Western nations, including Australia, for ignoring the "living hell" in the Gaza Strip.
- The rebuke came after Australia and 14 other countries criticised China at the UN over alleged human rights abuses.
- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Australia was "long plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes".
China has denounced Western nations for ignoring the "living hell" in the Gaza Strip — and said Australia is hypocritical and plagued by "systemic racism" and "hate crimes" — after being confronted at the United Nations.
Australia, the United States and 13 other countries criticised China at the UN on Tuesday over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet.
"We urge China to uphold the international human rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed, and to implement all UN recommendations," Australia's UN Ambassador James Larsen told the UN General Assembly's human rights committee.
"This includes releasing all individuals arbitrarily detained in both Xinjiang and Tibet, and urgently clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing family members," Larsen said.
He spoke on behalf of Australia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Britain.
China hits back on claims
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: "Australia, long plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes, has severely violated the rights of refugees and immigrants, and left Indigenous people with vulnerable living conditions.
"Australian soldiers have committed abhorrent crimes in Afghanistan and other countries during their military operations overseas."
A recent Australian Human Rights Commission report across health services, schools, workplaces, and interactions with police.
China's UN ambassador, Fu Cong, accused the group of Western states of resorting "to lies to provoke confrontations".
"The human-rights situation that should gather the most attention at the committee this year is undoubtedly that of Gaza," he said on Tuesday.
"Australia and the US, among a few others, played down this living hell, while unleashing attacks and smears against the peaceful and tranquil Xinjiang.
Hamas-led militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israel on 7 October 2023,
Palestinian health authorities say more than 42,000 people have been killed and almost everyone in the enclave of 2.3 million displaced by Israel's response since.
Fu said if the Gaza death toll was not enough to "awake the conscience of a few Western countries ... then their so-called protection of human rights of Muslims is nothing but the biggest lie".
Responding to the claims, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeated his government's mantra when asked about relations with China: "We’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll engage in our national interest."
"We’ve raised issues of human rights with China. We’ve done that in a consistent and clear way," he said, as reported by the Guardian.
"No country has a perfect human-rights record. But no country is above fair scrutiny of its human-rights obligations," Larsen said.
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"It is incumbent on all of us not to undermine international human-rights commitments that benefit us all, and for which all states are accountable."
Deputy US ambassador Lisa Carty said her nation was calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas and for Israel to allow more aid into the enclave.
Tibet, Xinjiang claims a long-running issue
Clashes over China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslims have become a common occurrence at both the United Nations in New York and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
A China's "arbitrary and discriminatory detention" of Uyghurs and other Muslims in its Xinjiang region may constitute crimes against humanity.
It said that "serious human rights violations" had been committed.
Beijing has long denied all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs.
Albanese raised alleged human rights abuses and threatening actions by the Chinese military during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Australia in June.
During events in Canberra, Communist Party supporters clashed with protesters representing the Uyghur, Tibetan and Hong Kong communities.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong also when her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi visited Canberra in March.
"I raised Australia's concerns about human rights, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong," she said at the time.
