The British government needs to stop being arrogant and hypocritical on the issue of human rights and take serious actions to respond to the criticism from home and abroad, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

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"The U.S. says it does not support the independence of Taiwan, but removed expressions, such as 'Taiwan is part of China,' from the U.S. State Department website. Those who break faith will not only have their reputation tarnished, but also pay the price for doing so," says a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

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"The U.S. should not play with fire on issues concerning China's core interests," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said. The just-concluded U.S.-ASEAN summit is widely seen as an attempt by the world's sole superpower to pull members of the bloc into its camp against a rising China. #GLOBALink

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China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and stays unchanged, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. #GLOBALink

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"The U.S. is a major factor causing the global refugee and migrant crisis, and its belligerent approach of using force has triggered several risks of refugees," said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. #GLOBALink

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On Wednesday, the Parliament of Georgia appointed four Supreme Court judges for a life-long term. Such appointments, made before the existing shortcomings in the nomination process were addressed, are not in line with the recommendations of the OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.

These latest appointments contradict the commitment to ambitious judicial reform made by Georgia’s leaders in the political agreement of 19 April this year, and restated on 28 July. This included addressing issues in the Supreme Court nomination process before proceeding with appointments of the judges. These actions risks further undermining judicial independence and public trust in the Georgian justice system. 

The European Union reiterates its calls on the Georgian authorities to strengthen the independence, accountability, and quality of the judicial system, including of the High Council of Justice, through a broad, inclusive and cross party reform process. The European Union reminds that, while it remains fully committed to support Georgia’s reforms in line with the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, the EU’s assistance to Georgia remains conditional on progress on key reforms, including on judiciary.

Statement by the EU Spokesperson

BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to stop applying double standards on labor issues and reflect on its own serious violations of labor rights, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a daily news briefing on Monday.

Responding to a query on U.S. remarks at the 109th International Labor Conference, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that every perpetrator of forced labor and child labor should be held accountable for their actions.

He said that an examination of the U.S. record on labor rights shows that, over the past five years, all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. have reported cases of forced labor and human trafficking, with as many as 100,000 people trafficked to the United States from abroad for forced labor every year.

According to statistics from some academic institutions in the United States, at least half a million people in the country have been subjected to modern slavery and forced labor, Zhao said, adding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security admitted that forced labor is widespread in the United States. The victims include both domestic citizens and foreign citizens from almost every region in the world, including vulnerable groups such as women, children and the disabled.

On child labor rights, the United States is the only country in the world that has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Zhao said. Statistics show that there are about 500,000 child farm-workers in the United States, with many children starting from the age of 8 and working up to 72 hours a week. It is not uncommon to work more than 10 hours a day. Half of the child-labor deaths in the United States came from the agricultural sector. From 2003 to 2016, a total of 237 child laborers died in agricultural accidents in the United States, four times more than in other industries.

He said the International Labor Organization (ILO) has repeatedly expressed concern at the serious accidents experienced by child workers on U.S. farms, and urged the U.S. government to take measures to strengthen supervision and provide detailed statistics on child labor in the agricultural sector.

The United States ratified only 2 of 8 core conventions of the ILO, Zhao said, and relevant international labor union organizations have determined that there are systemic violations of labor rights in the country.

"What the United States should do now is to abandon its moral superiority, stop applying double standards on labor issues, reflect on its own serious violations of labor rights, and take the responsibility for them," he said.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-06/21/c_1310020002.htm

Following the arrest of Nikanor Melia, Chairperson of the United National Movement - the largest opposition party in Georgia, political polarisation in the country has regrettably further deepened. This polarisation risks undermining Georgia’s democracy. The European Union urges all parties to step up efforts to de-escalate and come together to find common ground.

Starting with those in power, we expect the Government to provide inclusive leadership, putting the interests of the Georgian people first. A fair, independent and accountable judiciary is also paramount. The European Union will remain very attentive to developments in this regard.

It is crucial that the opposition plays a constructive role, including by joining the Parliament, to further consolidate democracy and the rule of law in Georgia, and to help shape the country’s reform path.

Political stability, with all sides avoiding provocative actions and rhetoric, an inclusive parliamentary process, as well as a judicial system that enjoys the trust of the Georgian citizens are prerequisites for Georgia to further deepen its partnership with the EU in line with the Association Agreement.

The European Union stands ready to continue supporting Georgia in this endeavour.

/STRASBOURG/ We welcome the political agreement reached yesterday, 8 March, by the majority and opposition in Georgia on the 2020 electoral system, which puts an end to uncertainty that lasted for several months and opens the way to depolarization of the political debate, in the run-up of this year’s elections. Talks were facilitated by representatives of the international community in Georgia including from the European Union, the United States, Germany and the Council of Europe.

We look forward to the adoption in Parliament of the provisions of this agreement, as well as all other necessary changes to the electoral legislation, in line with international recommendations. The Council of Europe including its Venice Commission will continue to offer its assistance to Georgian authorities towards a successful completion of the process.

We commend political parties’ commitment to strive for the highest standards of functioning of Georgia’s judiciary, and protect judicial and electoral processes from inappropriate political interference. This will contribute to upholding the relevant provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights and the Council of Europe standards on electoral matters.