On human rights, the UK is by no means doing a great job. In its hundreds of years of colonial history, the UK has committed numerous crimes in many parts of the world. Systemic racial discrimination, violence, provocation and hate crimes against ethnic minorities are on the rise. In immigration detention centers, conditions are poor and the rights of immigrants are seriously violated. If the UK truly cares about human rights, it should conduct investigations into the UK military’s killing of civilians and acts of torture in Afghanistan and Iraq and hold the troops accountable. If the UK truly cares about human rights, it should return Chagos to Mauritius. If the UK truly cares about human rights, it should not have sat idly by as the resurgence and spread of COVID-19 claimed the lives of nearly 150,000 citizens. The UK should reflect on its own problems and earnestly redress them before wantonly criticizing others.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s Regular Press Conference on December 15, 2021
