China Responds To State Department Human Rights Abuses Condemnation With Human Rights Abuses Within United States Document

The Communist Party government of China has issued a sharp rebuke for the U.S. State Department's recent condemnation of human rights within China by offering up a new document that condemns human rights and living conditions within the United States, and urges the United States to remedy a number of deplorable issues within their own nation before condemning the human rights of other nations. Such a war of words is appearing to signal a slight bump in the relations of both countries who have massive economic ties to each other with trade as well China holding billions of dollars in U.S. bonds keeping the American government fiscally solvent.

Among the areas of Chinese condemnation are the widespread crime problem in the U.S. compared to China and the massive number of gun related crimes. China cites FBI statistics that document 1.4 million annual crimes in the U.S. as of September 2008, including 17,000 murders, many of which can be attributed to gun violence.

The Chinese report also condemned how some of the 200 million guns in the United States are sometimes used in school violence, killing a number of school aged children each year. According to the report, some cities have documented as many as 31 gun violence incidents in just one day such as Baltimore, which degrade the human rights and security of American citizens.

The Chinese report further condemns the serious erosion of civil rights during the Bush Administration where by 2008, the FBI and other government police agencies may have examined every Email sent by Internet users, as well conducted investigations into what websites or Internet searches at least 100,000 Americans have done while using a computer. The Chinese report also blasts a July 15, 2008 bill signed by Bush that allows telecommunications companies immunity from lawsuits and allows massive wiretapping of American citizens.

The Chinese report also condemns the unprofessional conduct of a small number of police officers who have illegally shot some suspects, or used violence or illegal sodomy of some suspects in some instances. And the report further condemned that the number of American prisoners vs. the population as a whole as reached an all-time high percentage. And the report also blasted the lack of human rights with deplorable conditions in prisons. Many jails and prisons are serviced by corporate food or service providers who have inadequate diets for prisoners who must count on outside funds from families or friends in order to purchase adequate amounts of food, a toothbrush or other hygiene items. These extra items are then sold to prisoners at greatly inflated prices compared to comparable goods available on the outside. And families are charged outrageously high fees for phone calls from inmates as well. 15 minute phone calls costing $15-25 are not uncommon.

The Chinese report also condemns the extreme wealth gap that exists in the U.S., where a few own a great deal of wealth while the number of those homeless and in poverty is only increasing, and American society is becoming less fair. The report also claims that a record of over 31 million Americans now must rely on Food Stamps for enough to eat, while the number of American billionaires increases.

China also condemned that the right of laborers are not protected in the U.S. with high unemployment numbers, however it was not mentioned in the Chinese report that massive manufacturing competition from low wage nations such as China have cost millions of American manufacturing jobs.

The report further condemned that many Americans right to education, pension plans and health care all suffer considerably with less Americans able to afford each of these important items. The Chinese report also condemned that only 47% of many businesses even provide an employee health care program of some type.

China also condemned the huge drug, gambling and suicide problems facing the United States and the huge problem with recreational drug abuse by millions of Americans. And the report condemned the widespread lack of mental health or other services as well.

The report also cited the continued racial and sexual discrimination within the United States, and condemned the American war in Iraq which has cost more than one million civilian lives as well as the cruel and inhumane treatment of suspected detainees of the United States.

What is pretty clear is that China resents any U.S. State Department document that condemns their own human rights record. However, the Chinese seem to be more than able to cite numerous serious quality of life issues within the United States to claim that this government is not adequately providing for the human rights, safety or security of our own citizens as well.

The unfortunate fact is that the U.S. State Department report on China is correct. And sadly, the human rights report from China about the United States is also sadly correct. Both nations need substantial reforms to improve the basic living conditions of their citizens.