Social Sciences in China

Vol. 38, No. 3, 2017

 

China and the Remolding of International Human Rights Norms

(Abstract)

 

Yuan Zhengqing, Li Zhiyong and Zhufu Xiaofei

 

The life cycle of international norms is not actually a process of emergence, diffusion and internalization. As is shown by the logic of argumentation and the relational logic of process- oriented constructivism, the development of international norms may take another approach, one of origination, diffusion and remolding. Through dialogues on norms, discourse critique, self-remolding and other means, China has enriched the practice of remolding international human rights norms with a human rights theory centered on the right to survive and develop, thereby providing a new approach and new angle of vision that allows non-Western countries to break away from the monist approach of norm development.

 

Keywords: norm remolding, human rights, logic of argumentation, logic of relationships