George Rupp on the battle over human rights

Question: How should we encourage China to defend human rights?

George Rupp: My own view is that China will in fact make substantial in moving beyond human right’s violations as it continues to develop economically.  I think that we need to be more modest about our lecturing China and other countries about human rights until we get our own abuses of human rights in order.  I’m happy to see the Obama administration is focused on doing that in the case of Guantanamo, for example.  But I think we should be a little less quick to hector other countries on human rights and instead encourage the kind of civil society developments and economic exchanges that in the long run will move countries like China away abuse of human rights.