There is little argument that 1,000 years ago, during the Northern Song dynasty, China was the most prosperous country in the world, richer than all the countries of Europe. But, by the 19th century when the Opium War occurred, China was the sick man of Asia. That is to say, China’s decline was due to internal factors and began very early, in the 13thcentury. When Liu Xiaobo lay dying, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke to Chinese officials about the Nobel peace laureate, only to be rebuffed. Surely Chinese officials know that by signing such conventions, China opened itself up to questions from UN officials and those of other countries.

Source: Manila Times July 17, 2017 16:41 UTC