Talking to a Great Wall

The question as to whether constructive engagement is actually an effective means of improving human rights (including religious liberty) in repressive regimes is still an open one, in my opinion. Little evidence can be pointed to support the idea, but it is an increasingly popular approach by those who occasionally portray a sense of superiority over the rest of us who continue to express our concerns in less sophisticated ways.

The latest edition of Macleans, however, will do nothing to support the cause of those who prefer the carrot over the stick. In the article, Talking to a Great Wall, Charlie Gillis notes that there is a growing consensus in Ottawa that closed-doors bilateral talks with China on human rights are little more than a charade, yielding nothing in the way of reform and providing a convenient forum for further Chinese abuses. Indeed, as Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese diplomat who spent 14 years working for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before defecting to Australia in 2005, told Macleans, China has spent the last decade playing Western governments for fools. "We all knew it was meaningless. Everyone at the consulate general knew the talks were just a way to avoid international criticism. The notion that China would play a constructive role in international affairs was very deceptive."

To read this full article, click here. And then write our Prime Minister, thanking him for taking a firm position with China in regards to human rights.

(The Voice of the Martyrs has a number of resources on religious liberty in China. Go to our online catalog for more information.)