China and Civil rights as a Superpower Nation

Basic rights fall under the category of “equality, dignity, respect, and independence” and it is the law that modulates these set of values. This idea that human beings should be entitled to a set of simple rights and freedoms devised from Britain and has been amended to allow individuals to speak their mind, acquire education, right to private life, and the right from mistreatment, and others. In China as well as the EU, civil rights continue to be a major issue of apprehension. China began experiencing cases related to “civil rights” violation following “President Xi Jinping's” rise to supremacy and shows no indication of abating. The real concern is that civil rights in China looks grim and might become worse in the near future as President Xi is expected to maintain his position in the regime until 2022.

For instance, a Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo lost his life while in custody after a health condition following his decision of speaking against the Chinese regime (HRW, 2017). Civil rights refer that an individual is entitled to the right to medical services as well as other rights that are essential for the survival of an individual. The act by the China government is an act of inhuman, especially following the record of the person involved in such unfair act. The contemporary state of affairs of China’s human right is a reflection of a government that is undermining the rights of its citizens, rather than supporting and protecting these rights (Amnesty International, 2018). The Chinese regime did not abandon its intolerance based on dissent.

This is an act of violation of civil rights, especially the freedom of self-opinion and expression. This current state of civil rights in China is a clear indication of the type of unfair treatment that individuals who attempt to stand for what is right go through in the hands of the Chinese rule. Thus, the problem of civil rights in China has revolved around the detention of various activists as well as online commenters who attempt to go against the established rule of the government. China’s efforts are to limit its citizens their civil rights is evident following its attempt to eliminate newly developed civil rights websites through jailing their founders. For instance, “Liu Feiyue”, the maker of a website called “Civil rights and Livelihood Watch” was judged based on the allegations that Liu was leaking the secrets of the state and also cases of inciting for the subversion in relation to the state power (IFJ, 2017).

The government exercise control over various activities such as finances, publications, applications of seminary, and personal appointments that involves religious bodies. Thus, religious groups that are not included in those that the state identifies are considered as “evil cults. ” Members belonging to these unauthorized religious groups are presented for police provocation, imprisonment, agony, and arbitrary incarceration. For instance, Sun Qian was detained following allegations that she was using cults with an attempt to incapacitate law enforcement (Chase and Xu, 2017). The other case is the detention of a Catholic bishop by the name Shao Zhumin a leader of an underground church based in Wenzhou after his church's refusal to be part of the "Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association”. ” Also, in relation to cases of sexual orientation as well as gender identity, China lacks laws that safeguard citizens from cases of gender indent or sexual orientation discrimination.

Despite the fact that civil rights allow an individual to lead the kind of lifestyle one desires, it does not support the same-sex partnership. For instance, the Chinese government blocked various Chinese sites that were meant strictly for lesbians as well as shutting down abnormal sexual related lifestyles like homosexuality that were posted as online videos (HRW, 2018). It is, for this reason, the civil rights continue to be a major issue in China since the efforts of citizens in an attempt to create awareness based on civil rights are shut down and participants presented to the law for judgment. However, the EU differs with China greatly in relation to issues pertaining to civil rights. For instance, the EU supports civil rights considering its 2007-2013 budget of “EUR 1.

1 billion” that was funded for the promotion of civil rights. The EU facilitates the “European Instrument for Democracy and Civil rights” in order to support civil liberties worldwide (DIHR, 2017). This is clear indication of positive perspective that the EU holds in relation to issues that impact the civil rights and responds accordingly. The EU promotes civil rights in various categories, but the major ones include; strengthening democracy through promoting unrestricted media, promotion of political pluralism, good supremacy, and healthy legal system. In relation to combating cases related to racism, the EU has two unique programs namely “Progress and Daphne” that promote a wide range of practices meant to reduce “xenophobia” and racism based on own borders. The EU has also designed an agency called the “European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights that is meant to ensure that fundamental values that pertain to civil rights are respected (DIHR, 2017).

It mainly offers members countries necessary expertise in relation to the establishment of the EU legislation regarding fundamental rights. However, China relationship with the EU regardless of the difference in perspective relating to civil rights is still under consideration as the EU aims as promoting China based on the changeover to an open based social order that works under the instruction of the byelaw and respects the idea of civil rights. Based on the datum that the “EU” acts as a normative command, the “EU” is closely focused on supporting civil rights in China based on a sustained, constructive, and active manner. This is because China as a rising superpower nation has the power to opportunistically as well as selectively choose the conditions under which it will abide by civil rights practices and when to engage in flouting such rights in the event that they seem unenforceable.

Thus, currently, China is focusing on leading the EU in relation to decision making and this has amounted to cases of attack in relation to liberal democracy (Benner, et al, 2018). It is for this reason that most European states need to conduct an adjustment in relation to their policies for the purpose of fitting an obedience that aligns and favors the interests of China. Thus, the EU political based elites are focused on embracing the ideologies of China interests as well as rhetoric. Thus, with China increasing political influence at a global level gives it further powers to apply its financial muscle to influence nations that are under it in order to facilitate its agenda. Thus, China through Beijing focuses on three major goals that are mainly meant to give China the power to run the EU and implement new policies pertaining global civil rights.

The first strategy for China to achieve its goal is through the weakening of western unity based on Atlantic and within European. The aim of this plan is to combat the efforts of the European Union of battling China’s current situation based on civil rights as well as its hegemonic based ambitions directed to “East and South of China”. Ensuring the EU does not interfere with the decision that China makes in relation to civil rights after affecting the strong relationship between members state in EU, China will be in a good position to push forward its plan with little resistance from the world and Europe. It is through this podium that China is in a position to apply its superpower dominance to implement new policies regarding civil rights (Benner, et al, 2018).

Thus, China influence has resulted to a scenario where most European nations are modifying their policies in an attempt to fit the Chinese agenda in relation to its role in the world politics as well as the EU. It is for this reason that the EU political elites, as well as neighboring European nations, seem to fall for Chinese interests and rhetoric including areas where they contradict with those of the European Union. The Chinese plan of divide and rule against the EU seem to be working as the EU Unity appears to be at cost, especially in areas where civil rights as well as liberal values protection and projection. The reason why China is likely to influence the EU as well the globe in relation to civil rights is based on the fact that it mainly aims at two interlocking motivations.

The first one involves its determination to safeguard the stability of its regime in its country, and the second reason relates to competition as well as pursue of ultimate political superiority in the EU and across the globe (Christiansen, and Maher, 2017). Though these actors China remains informed based on various issues that nations within the EU go through and thus, can use this opportunity to increase its influence based on its economic strength. Through these efforts, China continues to be exposed to the world and gaining dominance in various sectors. The fact that it remains among the leading nations based on its financial records, China is likely to use these influence to get the nations that it has invested in so as to side with it in EU decision making.

This is one way that China will control decision making in the EU and gain its power to lead in decision making with the EU. China also uses organizations that operate in China and globally to further their propaganda regarding civil rights (Xu & Albert, 2017). Also, China offers various European political elites alternative approaches in relation to European cooperation as well as governance. This is one way that China has set itself apart from the EU and developed banks in Western. Without the consideration of the type of governance that the EU members exercise in their country, China provides them with various economic and political cooperation. With this form of influence, China is set to establish a strong relationship with EU members, especially those who are against various EU agendas (Amnesty International, 2018).

In the event China successfully managers to influence more European elites in relation to its policies relating to governance, it will be in a position to suggest various decision that related to civil rights. The real concern is that civil rights in China looks unattractive and might worsen in the near future as President Xi is expected to maintain his position in the regime until 2022. The EU takes part in these issues in an attempt to create room for dialogue with the Chinese government concerning the current state of civil rights in the nation. Reference Civil rights Watch (HRW), 2017. China: Deepening Assault on Civil rights. Retrieved from https://www. pdf Chinese Civil rights Defenders, (2916). Promoting Civil rights and Empowering Grassroots Activism in China.

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