China loses critic as United States pulls out of UN Human Rights Council, analysts say
With Washington no longer there to stand up to Beijing, it ‘will only increase its power’, Amnesty International researcher says
While many foreign nations expressed regret at the United States’ decision to pull out of the United Nations’ top human rights body, the move could be a boon for China as it leaves it with one fewer critic in the group, analysts said.
The US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the decision to leave the Human Rights Council was taken because of its “chronic bias against Israel”. She also lamented the fact the 47-member group included accused human rights abusers like China, Cuba, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
William Nee, a China researcher with Amnesty International in Hong Kong, said Washington’s departure would leave the way clear for Beijing to promote its views.
“The US had been one of the few countries willing to stand up to China,” he said.