Source: Global Times    Published: 2024-09-12

By Cao Siqi

Editor's Note:

The First China-Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) States Roundtable on Human Rights was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. More than 120 senior officials, scholars, experts and representatives from social organizations and think tanks from China and LAC nations gathered together to discuss the choice of the path to realizing human rights. As the largest developing country in the world and one of the regions with the highest concentration of developing countries, in the field of human rights cooperation, China shares similar backgrounds, close ideas, common paths, and converging goals with countries in LAC. Global Times reporter Cao Siqi interviewed two Brazilian scholars to hear their insights on the China-LAC partnership, South-South cooperation, Chinese modernization, the three global initiatives, among other topics.

Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, widely known by his Chinese name Gao Wenyong, is a law professor at Fluminense Federal University and head of the Brazil-China Research Group at Getulio Vargas Foundation School of Law. He came to Shanghai in 2013 to study cultural exchanges among BRICS countries and a decade later, he was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award.

After delivering a keynote speech at the closing ceremony of the First China-Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) States Roundtable on Human Rights, he said this is the first time that China and LAC have organized a seminar of this level in the field of human rights. The roundtable is a historic milestone in these relations because it opens a new chapter in dialogue between the parties. 

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Carvalho stressed that human rights presuppose development and peace. Without peace, there are no human rights; without development, there are none either. It's worth remembering that human rights were born from the ruins of World War II; and that the US is now the largest war machine in the world. The US and some Western countries are in no position to claim they are the greatest defenders of human rights on Earth. Nevertheless, we continue to engage in dialogue with them. But they need to learn how to listen to us. 

"We must strongly combat the political use of 'human rights' as a shield to justify interventions in other countries, which paradoxically leave a trail of destruction wherever they go. The time for Western hypocrisy is over. China-LAC cooperation offers the possibility of reframing the path of realizing human rights by prioritizing socioeconomic development and peace. Human rights inspire our commitment to dialogue that unites us, rather than divides us. For me, this is a significant moment in the relationship between Brazil, Latin America, and China. It's a cause for celebration," Carvalho said. 

At the beginning of 2024, Carvalho received the Chinese Government Friendship Award, which was an immense honor for him as it motivated him even more to continue and deepen his studies on China and expand the dialogue with Chinese institutions and society. 

In the past decade, Carvalho has spent almost five years living in China. To him, China is the second home. Living in China gave him the opportunity to more broadly understand and learn about Chinese wisdom. 

"Every society has its idiosyncrasies. China is multifaceted, and that's what makes it fascinating. It's no small feat that a nation has managed to eradicate extreme poverty and become the second-largest economy in the world in just 40 years. But most importantly, it has done so without losing its own identity - preserving the essence of its sophisticated and rich cultural heritage. This is where the exchange between China and Brazil can open an entirely new chapter in bilateral relations," Carvalho said. 

 For further exchanges and cooperation between China and Brazil, he said it's necessary to intensify the exchange of intellect, ideas, wisdom, art, and dreams. Brazil needs to understand that its most magnificent aspect is not in its Western heritage, but in its cultural roots deeply embedded in its soil, represented by Brazil's indigenous peoples. This is where Brazil and China embrace each other. 

"This is our common ground. But there are obstacles to inaugurating this new intellectual embrace, and this obstacle is the spread of hate speech fueled by a Cold War mentality promoted by Western powers," he pointed out. 

During the interview, Carvalho also noted that Chinese modernization is an example to be studied by all countries of the Global South because Chinese modernization occurred based on four attitudes: first, it carefully studied what Western countries did to develop and industrialize; second, it engaged in dialogue with all countries including those who always "teach" China; third, it critically analyzed each of the foreign experiences, taking into account China's own reality, potentials, and limitations; fourth, it trusted its own intelligence to build a development path that reflected the sovereign will of the Chinese people. 

In more concrete terms, this shows that people-centered development, rather than a focus on a few individuals, is the core of China's success, Carvalho said, noting that special economic zones, high-speed rail and airport network connecting the entire country, and heavy investment in education positioning several Chinese universities among the top 100 globally, its leadership in innovation in areas such as electric vehicles, flying cars, robotics, and advances in space engineering demonstrate that China has become a country of unmatched dynamism. 

"China seeks this positive agenda with Latin American countries, rather than the agenda of war, internal divisions, and sanctions, which currently form the policy options of US foreign policy. I hope the US can learn from China that development and peace are the foundation upon which other human rights are built," he said. 

With more and more countries applying to join the BRICS mechanism, Carvalho said the BRICS bloc is the new phenomenon of the 21st century and an initiative that increasingly symbolizes the capacity of Global South countries to promote concrete efforts in the right direction, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of the involved nations while respecting their realities and sovereignty. 

"I have no doubt that the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will become fundamental pillars in global governance," he said.