Xi Jinping criticised as 'shameless' for touting China's record on rights for women at United Nations
President insists Chinese women 'have the opportunity to excel' while US and other critics question why they are still being locked up for expressing their views
President Xi Jinping told the United Nations on Sunday that all Chinese women have the opportunity to excel, touting his government’s record on women’s rights as the United States slammed Beijing and others for jailing women for their views.
China and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon co-hosted a UN meeting of world leaders on gender equality and women’s empowerment, raising eyebrows among some western diplomats and human rights defenders in China and abroad.
“As the Chinese people pursue a happy life, all Chinese women have the opportunity to excel in life and make their dreams come true,” Xi told the meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
Leaders from about 80 countries and dozens of diplomats attended the meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN women’s conference in Beijing and press for implementation of its 150-page action plan for gender equality – which remains one of the 17 new development goals adopted by world leaders on Friday.
Among the Chinese leader’s strongest critics was Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton who tweeted: “Xi hosting a meeting on women’s rights at the UN while persecuting feminists? Shameless.”
As US first lady, Clinton galvanised the 1995 Beijing conference with a rousing speech that included words that have become a mantra for the global women’s movement: “human rights are women’s rights – and women’s rights are human rights.”
Xi partly echoed her words, telling Sunday’s meeting that “women’s rights and interests are basic human rights. They must be protected by laws and regulations.”
