America Must Rediscover Human-Rights Realism
Because gross violations of human rights are central to governance in China and Russia, the United States should recognize that its own commitment to internationally accepted norms is a key source of strength. As the history of the Cold War shows, a US foreign policy that advances such principles is far more likely to attract allies.
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NEW YORK – It is neither an accident nor a coincidence that China is committing what many call genocide against Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, and that Russia has jailed the dissident Alexei Navalny. The Chinese need a quiescent Xinjiang because it is a key node of their Eurasia-spanning Belt and Road Initiative. The Kremlin needs government institutions to serve as a cover for wealth accumulation by a gangster elite, and thus sees Navalny as a major threat.