Human Rights Approach to Chinese and Indian Foreign Policies

Research Paper from the year 2014 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, , language: English, abstract: The concept of human rights has brought about a profound change in the foreign policy priorities of several nation-states. States have been ready to use human rights rhetoric in foreign policy statements and less often to act in ways consonant with those policies. They appropriate the concept of human rights and bent it to serve their own needs. Each state has developed a distinct approach to human rights in its foreign policy. China and India both being the world's most populous nations, there is hardly any scholarly treatment of the impact of human rights on their foreign policies. This article reflects on how the practices of the China and India can nuance our understanding of the foreign policy priorities with special regard to human rights.