By Khedroob Thondup

China’s ruling Communist Party does not believe in universal human rights or the rule of law as understood internationally. Instead, it substitutes “development rights” and Party supremacy for individual freedoms, while systematically repressing dissent, minorities, and civil society.

China’s Approach to Human Rights. 

Party supremacy over the law: In China, the CCP stands above the constitution and courts. Laws are tools of governance, not constraints on state power. Arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and politically motivated trials are widespread. 

Redefinition of rights: Beijing insists that economic development is the “primary human right,” dismissing civil and political rights as Western constructs. This lets the state claim progress while ignoring freedom of speech, religion, and association. 

Control through te...