Chinese President Xi defends human rights record to UN chief

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told United Nations (UN) human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday that each country should be permitted to find its own path of “human rights development.” 

“Through long-term and persistent hard work, China has successfully embarked on a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its own national conditions,” he said on a video call, according to a report by state broadcaster CCTV.

The Chinese government has been accused of human rights violations and genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

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Bachelet is set to stop there during her trip to the country, which has been criticized by the U.S.

“On the issue of human rights, there is no perfect ‘utopia,’” Xi was quoted as saying. “We don’t need ‘masters’ that dictate to other countries, let alone politicizing and turning the human rights issue into a tool, practicing double standards and interference in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights.”

“Meetings with President Xi & senior officials have been valuable to discuss directly human rights issues & concerns in China & global. For development, peace & security to be sustainable: human rights, justice, inclusion of all, without exception, must be at the core,” Bachelet’s UN office tweeted. 

“I admire China’s efforts and achievements in eradicating poverty, protecting human rights and achieving economic and social development,” the agency chief said, according to CCTV. 

Her visit marks the first to China by a human rights commissioner since 2005.

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Bachelet previously met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and had a video conference with Du Hangwei, the vice minister of public security.

Bachelet agreed to stay in a “closed loop” of individuals set up by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in Beijing.

The CCP says the measures are an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“We think it was a mistake to agree to a visit under these circumstances where the high commissioner will not be granted the type of unhindered access, free and full access that would be required to do a complete assessment and to come back with a full picture of the atrocities, the crimes against humanity, and the genocide ongoing in Xinjiang,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday.

During President Biden’s recent trip to Asia, China and Russia flew nuclear-capable bombers in a joint military exercise. 

Biden has walked back comments that the U.S. would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan against China if it invaded the island nation.

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, Greg Norman, Anders Hagstrom, Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.