Moral realism in China’s global human rights engagement: evidence from the United Nations Human Rights Council

The existing literature has long debated China’s active engagement in global human rights institutions. Some studies argue that China bears a greater moral responsibility to align with internationally accepted standards, while others criticize its tactics as primarily aimed at defending national interests. However, the exact patterns and strategies of China’s engagement remain underexplored. This article presents a novel and comprehensive database of China’s voting records in the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2006 to 2024. It argues that China supports universally accepted moral principles to enhance its international reputation but resorts to pragmatic calculations when resolutions involve bloc-level conflicts. Building on the concept of moral realism, the findings indicate that: (1) China supports universal human rights principles; (2) China defends countries with poor human rights records; and (3) China criticizes Israel, a close ally of the United States, for its human rights violations. The conclusion suggests that countries with higher levels of democracy tend to vote differently from China, while countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative tend to align with it. Overall, China’s human rights engagement appears designed to enhance its global recognition, but in the face of bloc confrontations, it defends its allies while criticizing its rivals.