"Despite long being under a cloud of controversy for its human rights record – from the treatment of ethnic minorities to the muzzling of critics, all of which was amplified in the past year – China continues to climb the ranks as a human rights leader in the United Nations.
On April 1, it was no fool's trick that China scored a spot on the U.N.'s Human Rights Council panel, which is in charge of choosing human rights monitors globally. Then on April 27, in the throes of a controversy over its handling of the coronavirus and its questionable relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), China was appointed chair for selecting the upcoming Special Rapporteur, or 'U.N. expert on free speech.'
That selection was announced this week - the Chinese Communist Party named Bangladeshi-born attorney Irene Khan, who has become something of a controversial figure in recent years for her support of the Beijing leadership.
Yet despite accusations of widespread human rights violations, China continues to ascend in the international body founded on principles of justice, peace and accountability...
At the U.N. Human Rights Council, which was led this month by Cuba, 53 countries voted in support of China's heavy-handed clampdown with the justification that the people of Hong Kong could now 'exercise their freedom in a safe environment.'
Those who opposed the controversial law were considerably outnumbered, led by the U.K., but garnering the support of just 26 other countries..."