A Chinese idiom says that all will follow one who is personally upright, even though he does not give orders; but if he is not personally upright, they will not follow, even though he gives orders.
Attributed to Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), one of the greatest Chinese philosophers in history, the idiom is an important tenet for the Chinese.
In another example of this idiom, China on Friday published a report on the U.S. human rights situation, finding that the hypercritical Uncle Sam has turned out to be a poor performer in human rights issues.
The report said that the human rights situation in the United States is worsening. It faces rampant gun violence and a grave employment situation. With the tapping program code-named PRISM, the U.S. government has infringed on the privacy rights of people both at home and abroad.
The report came one day after the U.S. State Department issued its country reports on human rights practices for 2013. Acting as the world's judge of human rights, the U.S. made arbitrary attacks and irresponsible remarks on the human rights situation in almost 200 countries and regions.
Of course, the report included human rights situations in China, a longtime victim of the U.S.'s groundless accusations. The U.S. report made accusations about China's political and judicial systems, ethnic issues, and other issues.
Pursuing human rights is a process and no country can have an absolute perfect record. China is on a path of rapid development, and due to a low starting point, the country emphasizes the right to development more than developed countries.
The U.S. report deliberately ignored the great progress China has made in human rights. China has abandoned the reeducation through labor system, eased the one-child policy, and significantly improved the people's livelihood, especially vulnerable groups.
The Chinese government's commitment to improving its human rights situation is based on its own will rather than the push from other countries, especially countries such as the United States, which are always criticizing others while their own records are poor.
If the United States wants to be the self-claimed human rights judge of the world, though China and most countries do not agree, it first needs to sweep its own doorsteps. Otherwise, its words will not be heard, let alone trusted, by other countries.
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