북한 인권문제에 대한 중국의 입장

Abstract

Faced with the attack from Western countries on account of the North Korean human rights issues, China traditionally has been on the side of North Korea, for she shared common interest with North Korea. However, China has begun to show gradual changes in her attitude toward the North Korean human rights issues, though still in a limited sense. In the course of being incorporated into the world economic system after the Reform and Open Policy, the emphasis on the particularity of the Chinese socialist system has provided China with a convenient excuse to put a certain distance from the capitalist ideas of human rights. Hence, it seems quite improbable that China accepts the Western concepts of human rights without reservation or abandon the cooperative relationship with North Korea on human rights issues. However, the expansion of market economy in China will bring forth changes that will weaken the need to fight against the Western concepts of human rights. Some reasons for her changing attitude could be pointed out as follows: Firstly, as the Chinese economy gets incorporated into world economy, China will adapt herself to the international norms and positively accept the international standards on human rights; Secondly, the expansion of market economy will gradually make China share the capitalist ideas of human rights with the Western countries; Thirdly, as China becomes a superpower, she probably will have the impulse to make a strategic use of the human rights issues. China will experience some conflict between the international norms and national interest. A delicate balance between them is secured by expressing her support for the Western ideas of human rights, yet reserving their actual feasibility. Such a practical approach will be shown in her relationship with North Korea in dealing with the North Korean human rights issues.