Even 70 years after the universal Declaration of human rights, none of this appears to us to be non-negotiable. Nevertheless, countries such as China, judging ascending according to their own Successes and mistakes, says Frank Sieren.
Not only the Chinese government, the people in China have different ideas than we in the West, when it comes, for example, the relationship between the individual and the community, or to the ratio of democratic participation and authoritarian order. This has to do with the particular historical experiences.
However, it is of course a difference whether a good 80 million people need to get along together, or 1.4 billion. And the development stage is also formative: China the second largest economy in the world is, is but per capita is only a social product, similar to the Bulgarians – whose country is one of the poorer in Europe.
Formative ideas of the West
Each country to judge on human rights issues “at the Hand of his successes, but also on the basis of his aberrations,” said then Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier during his recent trip to China at the beginning of December. Our experiences in Europe are strongly influenced by the Suffering of two world wars. On this Foundation the Charter of human rights and other international agreements be – “all of this was never perfect,” said Steinmeier, “never for all alike, never a panacea”. But for him, it is still an “infinitely valuable achievement,” he “neither weaken, nor” would like to give up.
DW-columnist Frank Sieren
Undoubtedly, especially in the West-formed notions of human rights influenced the Charter of the United Nations. Among its spiritual fathers, a canadian, two French, an American, a Lebanese, and P. C. Chang, after all, a Chinese Diplomat and philosopher. He, however, was in a very weak Position, because China was at that time internationally with virtually no political role. No Russian sat also at the table, no Indians, no Iranians, no Africans, no South Americans.
Seventy years later, is now The claim of the West to have values that are so convincing, that the world follows them without hesitation, is so easy to keep. Steinmeier’s most important speech in China was also characterized by a large Dilemma: How to integrate the Western achievements with the ideas of the new ascending countries – above all China, without having to give up much of their own values? One answer is that We need to be convincing, and are not allowed to measure with double standards. The different angle of view alone from China and Europe are complex and “dealing with this complexity, this voltage requires two pages of special care,” said Steinmeier.
This means that We need to talk more and even more intense than before. We have to explain to the Chinese in more detail, why we think the way we think and find out why many Chinese people see things differently.
Clever Dialog in the change of perspective
For this reason, Steinmeier argued, not, that, for example, the European or the German notions of an ethics of digitalisation are the measure of all things, but he speaks deliberately of “our direction” and he admits that “these questions will be answered today in China is often quite different”. To give that different perspectives are valid, is the first step, to reach a consensus, the requirement for a compromise. Because it simply means that one respects the other’s Position. However, it is not easy to find the right balance between Yield and insisting on your own Beliefs – especially as we are accustomed to in the West as a minority in the world now have some 100 years of the rules of the game in the world.
But after all, it currently looks as if we are masters Europeans, the clever dialogue in the change of perspective under the pressure of the dramatic global changes a little better than most Americans, especially the American President. Also has good historical reasons for this: We have been forced to Practice in. That the French and Germans considered themselves “sworn enemies” is a mere 70 years ago and yet we are now close friends and partners. This historical experience has helped Steinmeier in China, obviously, is to find the right tone.
Our columnist Frank Sieren has lived for more than 20 years in Beijing.