Explaining the rise of 'human rights' in analyses of Sino-African relations

Popular perceptions of China and its global role are often shaped by two words: 'made in'. Yet this vision of China that focuses primarily on Beijing as a coming economic superpower is relatively new, and it is not that long ago that two other words tended to dominate debates on and discourses of China: 'human rights'. To be sure, real interest in human rights in China was never the only issue in other states' relations with China, nor consistently pursued throughout the years (Nathan, 1994). Nor did human rights totally subsequently disappear from the political agenda.1 Nevertheless, the rhetorical importance of human rights - perhaps best epitomised by the narrow defeat of resolutions condemning Chinese policy in 1995 at the Human Rights Council in Geneva - stands in stark contrast to the relative silence thereafter as the bottom line of most states' relations with Beijing took on ever greater economic dimensions

Intellectual legacies, ethical policies and normative territories: Situating the human rights issue in EU–Asia relations

This article investigates EU foreign policies regarding Human Rights with Asia. The perspective adopted here argues for a consideration of selected, social-constructivist, perspectives. The article emphasizes ideas, identities, values, educational exchange and human rights in EU policy towards Asia. Through a number of case studies, the article demonstrates that there is both an ‘enabling’ and an ‘inhibitory’ human rights dynamism in EU–Asia dialogue. The article suggests some ways of translating this into policies. It proposes a more inclusive, ‘holistic’, understanding of human rights discourse in East–West relations

New dynamism or institutional overload? Asia-Europe relations after Seoul

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:7751.533(1/2001) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo