Chinese Leader (Eventually) Answers Question on Human Rights
- 13 years ago
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It was an uncomfortable moment yesterday at a White House press conference, as Chinese president Hu Jintao had to answer a question about human rights in China. It's the first time ever the Chinese president—who is appointed, by the way, not elected—has answered on-the-spot questions from the U.S. press. On his last visit to the U.S. in 2006, he didn't take any questions after his speech. Nor did he allow questions at his press conference with Obama in China in 2009.
On Wednesday, human rights was in the first question. Ben Feller of the Associated Press asked Hu how he justified China's human rights record.
But, instead of answering, Hu ignored it and took a soft-ball question from a China Central Television reporter.
But Bloomberg reporter Hans Nichols wouldn't let the issue drop.
[soundbite]
Hu Jintao responded by saying that, because a translation problem, he had not heard the original question about human rights—although the question had indeed been translated. Finally, Hu acknowledged that a lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights. But often, the term "human rights," when used by Chinese leadership, refers to economic and social rights—not political freedoms.
Hu also said:
[soundbite]
"Non-interference" is a term China's leadership often uses to defend against criticism of how they handle human rights.
It was an uncomfortable moment yesterday at a White House press conference, as Chinese president Hu Jintao had to answer a question about human rights in China. It's the first time ever the Chinese president—who is appointed, by the way, not elected—has answered on-the-spot questions from the U.S. press. On his last visit to the U.S. in 2006, he didn't take any questions after his speech. Nor did he allow questions at his press conference with Obama in China in 2009.
It was an uncomfortable moment yesterday at a White House press conference, as Chinese president Hu Jintao had to answer a question about human rights in China. It's the first time ever the Chinese president—who is appointed, by the way, not elected—has answered on-the-spot questions from the U.S. press. On his last visit to the U.S. in 2006, he didn't take any questions after his speech. Nor did he allow questions at his press conference with Obama in China in 2009.
On Wednesday, human rights was in the first question. Ben Feller of the Associated Press asked Hu how he justified China's human rights record.
But, instead of answering, Hu ignored it and took a soft-ball question from a China Central Television reporter.
But Bloomberg reporter Hans Nichols wouldn't let the issue drop.
[soundbite]
Hu Jintao responded by saying that, because a translation problem, he had not heard the original question about human rights—although the question had indeed been translated. Finally, Hu acknowledged that a lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights. But often, the term "human rights," when used by Chinese leadership, refers to economic and social rights—not political freedoms.
Hu also said:
[soundbite]
"Non-interference" is a term China's leadership often uses to defend against criticism of how they handle human rights.
It was an uncomfortable moment yesterday at a White House press conference, as Chinese president Hu Jintao had to answer a question about human rights in China. It's the first time ever the Chinese president—who is appointed, by the way, not elected—has answered on-the-spot questions from the U.S. press. On his last visit to the U.S. in 2006, he didn't take any questions after his speech. Nor did he allow questions at his press conference with Obama in China in 2009.