After China implemented a new security law in Hong Kong earlier in the summer which restricted political freedom of its citizens, two declarations were raised at the United Nations Human Rights Council, one that supported Beijing's move and another which expressed its concerns.
The Cuba-drafted declaration which commended China for its implementation was backed by 53 other nations. On the other hand, the United Kingdom expressed its worries about the legislation, which was shared by 27 other countries.
Massive display of power
According to the Wall Street Journal, China's recent display of authority is the latest success in Beijing's attempt to garner support from international organizations.
Beijing has moved to gain influence at the United Nations to allow China to aggressively act and ignore international scrutiny in the mainland and abroad.
In March, China acquired a seat on a five-member panel that is authorized to select U.N. rapporteurs on human rights abuses. The officials were the ones who previously targeted Beijing for its alleged imprisonment of its ethnic Muslim Uighurs in the controversial province of Xinjiang.
The United States government has recently tried to stop China from gaining too much influence and freely gaining supporters worldwide. However, Washington's responses have had little impact on China's aggression on the world stage.
One of China's latest moves to gain influence in the world stage was on September 29 when Chinese President Xi Jinping his country was ready and willing to cooperate with Argentina and other international community members in supporting the World Health Organization (WHO).
The declaration comes as the WHO is playing the leading role in the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the world. Xi has also emphasized the need to eradicate the threat of the COVID-19 as soon as possible, as reported by CCTV.
The Chinese president noted that China and Argentina have long been on good terms and have previously joined hands in battle. President Xi stated his administration is ready to provide as much support and assistance as it could to Argentina.
Criticisms and allegations
China's actions also come at a time when United President Donald Trump has consistently denounced the Asian country as a global menace. The Republican leader has commonly referred to Beijing as a malevolent actor and claimed it was responsible for the initial spread of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide because of its lack of proper containment.
According to The Time, President Trump also accused China of pulling puppet-like strings to stir the world to its favor and gain influence among international organizations such as the WHO. However, Beijing has since denied all allegations and called them baseless claims.
While Trump criticized and attacked China, the U.S. president has also attempted to extend his influence across the world and presents himself as the sole person capable of beating Beijing into submission with the previous trade deal between the two countries.
Republicans, including the U.S. president, say that Democrats are the ones who are bowing down to Beijing and allowing China to increase its power and authority on the global stage. Trump claimed that former Vice President Joe Biden aimed to forge ties to China during his several visits to the Asian country.
