GENEVA (AP) — Canada and China have sparred over human rights at the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council. Canada and 40 other countries urged China to allow “immediate, meaningful and unfettered access” so independent observers can visit the western Xinjiang region. Also Tuesday, a Chinese envoy called on Canadian authorities to “stop violations of human rights” at home. The mutual finger-pointing, which preceded admissions from Canada’s envoy about shortcomings in her country’s rights record, came in a debate at the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council. The showdown exposed the ongoing rift between the West and allies of China, which has been increasingly pushing back against criticism of its human rights record and its treatment of its Muslim Uyghurs.
