As China continues to face scrutiny by the U.S. for human rights abuses against ethnic minorities—including allegations of genocide—China has flipped the script, claiming America's human rights violations worsened in 2021.
The U.S. Department of State continues to document China's human rights abuses, and recently imposed sanctions against the nation for detaining over a million Uyghurs—a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in the East Asian nation, as well as other Muslim minorities—in internment camps. The U.S. alleges the Chinese Communist Party is inflicting "torture, physical and sexual abuse, mass surveillance, family separation, and repression of cultural and religious expression." China has repeatedly dismissed allegations of mistreating Uyghur Muslims and is now accusing America of human rights violations.
China's State Council Information Office issued "The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021" on Monday. The report alleges that human rights in the U.S. declined in 2021, as "political manipulation" led to a sharp surge in COVID-19 deaths, and fatal shootings in the country hit a new record.
China says the U.S. has a disregard for its citizens' rights to life and health. The report revealed that despite having the world's most advanced medical resources, the U.S. has the world's highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. The U.S. currently has 79 million confirmed cases and 950,000 fatalities, compared to China's 280,000 confirmed cases and 5,380 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard.
China also criticized America's public security, emphasizing the country's gun violence.
"The United States has consistently had one of the highest rates of violent crimes in the world," the report said. "Gun control measures have been stagnant and gun violence has been rife."
There were 693 mass shootings in the U.S. last year, up 10.1 percent from 2020, according to the report. More than 44,000 people were killed by gun violence last year, compared to 43,643 in 2020 and 39,558 in 2019.
China went on to bash U.S. democracy, saying the nation is "trampling" on political rights. The report said political strife has led to an increasingly divided U.S. society, citing the January 6 riot at the Capitol building.
"The election chaos in the United States has further intensified political polarization and continues to tear the society apart," the report said.
China alleges that money politics has become increasingly rampant in the U.S., making politicians more neglectful of people's interests and demands. The report added confrontations between political parties "restrain and harm" electors' right to vote.
Lastly, the report says the U.S. abused force and sanctions, and violated human rights in other countries, creating a "new humanitarian crises across the globe."
"The U.S. war on terror has killed millions of people," according to the report. "Since the 21st century, the United States has launched a series of global foreign military operations in the name of anti-terrorism, resulting in nearly one million deaths."
China claims that at the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, many countries blasted the U.S. for being the "biggest destroyer" of human rights in the world.
So, while China faces scrutiny over its human rights abuses, the country urges the U.S. to address its own issues before imposing standards on other countries.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of State and the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment, but they did not respond in time for publication.
