Hillary Clinton's approach to human rights in China

When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn't precede or follow her recent visit in Beijing by lambasting the Chinese government for their human rights violations, she was harshly criticized by some American human rights advocates, both progressive and conservative. They overlooked her candid explanation that there were ways of assisting rights and democracy apart from a visiting dignitary denouncing the offending government. Indeed, a few days later, the State Department's annual report on human rights was sharply critical of China, which reacted by bitterly denouncing the U.S. Nevertheless the web site of one rights advocacy group focused on China harshly criticized Mrs. Clinton on its web site: “She chose what makes us animal over what makes us human. What good can come of filling our bellies at the expense of starving our spirit? Where does history tell us that our fortunes will improve by acquiescing to tyranny?” Mrs. Clinton hardly acquiesced to tyranny. This was a hyperbolic statement that probably says more about the ideological frame or emotional reaction of who it was coming from (and it wasn't that smart politically, as a way to persuade the Administration to be more vigilant about human rights).

Since the Tibet crackdown, few if any observers of China have been under any illusions about the authoritarian, repressive character of its government. A routine verbal swipe by Hillary Clinton would have done precisely nothing to make Beijing's rulers think twice about their contempt for the political rights of those they govern. But the world is in the middle of several overlapping crises: a slow-motion but still-unfolding financial panic, a serious nose-dive in production and employment in many nations, the possibly imminent acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran (as well as the possible use of military force by Israel to forestall it), and turmoil in Pakistan. The Chinese can play a substantial, favorable role in global diplomacy on all of these four problems -- it would be in their interest. And, yes, we need them to buy plenty of Treasury securities so that our domestic, recession-fighting stimulus can be financed. These are all very serious matters. In the long term, there is nothing inconsistent with subdued official U.S. rhetoric about human rights at various moments and quietly increased U.S. assistance to democratic and rights activists around the world who are the ones whose action will really determine whether rights and democracy eventually come to countries like China. Hillary couldn't have liberated China on her first trip there, and she won't be the one who does it anyway.