UNGA Third Committee general debate: Chinese delegate exercises right of reply, rebuts six countries' criticism of China's human rights record
On October 5, during the general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly Third Committee, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Sun Lei, exercised the right of reply, naming the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Czechia and Lithuania. He accused them of 'maliciously smearing' China's human rights record and of habitually posing as 'human rights lecturers,' and went on to list each country's own alleged human rights shortcomings.
Why it matters
This was the first open clash over China-related human rights issues at this session of the Third Committee, with China naming six countries and rebutting them point by point — putting the contest over 'who is qualified to talk about human rights' on the table. The account of the exchange and both sides' remarks are so far only available via Chinese state media (Xinhua/China.com); no independent full transcript of the six countries' statements or China's reply has been found, so this site presents the episode as attributed to Chinese sources.
Full report
According to Xinhua, on October 5 (New York time) a rare confrontation unfolded during the general debate of the 81st UNGA Third Committee: delegates from Japan, the UK, Australia, Ireland, Czechia and Lithuania took the floor in turn to criticise China over Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. China's Deputy Permanent Representative Sun Lei then rose to exercise the right of reply and responded point by point. [1][2]
Sun said the six countries had 'groundlessly accused and maliciously smeared' China's human rights record, and that China expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition. He said these countries 'consider themselves superior and habitually pose as human rights lecturers,' yet suffer from prominent domestic human rights problems and are 'in no position to lecture others on human rights.' [1]
In his detailed rebuttal, Sun said China has eliminated absolute poverty, lifting nearly 100 million people out of poverty, while more than 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line and Japan's relative household poverty rate stands at 15%; that Hong Kong's National Security Law opened a historic turn 'from chaos to order'; that the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and Tibet are protected and the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims at common prosperity; and he counter-accused Japan of failing to honour its pledge to eliminate racial discrimination and of not treating the Ainu and Ryukyu peoples as equals, while the UK, Australia and Ireland still suffer the 'lingering harms' of colonialism. [1]
Sun concluded by advising the few countries to stop fabricating and spreading China-related lies and to stop manipulating human rights for political ends, 'or they will only lift a rock to drop it on their own feet.' (Reporters: Shang Xuqian, Xie E) [1]
Verification note: this record documents the public diplomatic act of China's reply; the proceedings and quotations are relayed from the Xinhua dispatch and its reposts by China.com and Shangluo Window. No independent text of the six countries' statements or of China's reply at the UN has been found; characterisations of the six countries in the reposts (such as 'smearing' or 'provocation') are Chinese media formulations and are attributed as such in the text. [1][2]
Primary sources
- China.com (via NetEase), 2026-10-09 ('Chinese delegate names and rebuts the US at the General Assembly; six-country joint pressure countered')
- Shangluo Window (via Xinhua), 2026-10-06 ('Chinese delegate names the UK, Australia, Japan and others: always posing as human rights lecturers'; reporters Shang Xuqian, Xie E)
Links above point to the original publishers of the cited reports or assessments. Their conclusions are attributed in the text and do not imply that this site has independently verified every factual claim.