2023年3月6日，外交部驻港公署刘光源特派员分别在《中国日报（香港版）》、《文汇报》发表题为《认清“基于规则的国际秩序”的霸权本质》的英、中文署名文章，通过“美国惯于‘合则用、不合则弃’”“美国践踏国际规则无原则、无底线”“美国用‘规则’是拉山头、搞胁迫”三个维度深入揭批美国“基于规则的国际秩序”。文章亦于当日登于上述两报网页版。全文如下：

近年来，一些美国政客言必称“基于规则的国际秩序”，俨然以国际正义的化身自居。铁的事实一再表明，美国对国际规则、国际秩序一惯选择性执行，时常肆意践踏，并以“家法”“帮规”取而代之，大搞胁迫外交，分裂国际社会。对此，世界各国有识之士早已心明眼亮，被蒙蔽者则不可不察。

美国惯于“合则用、不合则弃”。国际秩序应该基于怎样的规则？答案其实早有公论。中国明确指出，“世界只有一个体系，就是以联合国为核心的国际体系。只有一个秩序，就是以国际法为基础的国际秩序。只有一套规则，就是以联合国宪章宗旨原则为基础的国际关系基本准则。”问题在于，美国作为联合国创始会员国，对二战后由它自己参与打造的这套体系和规则却越来越心不在焉，继之走向对立，一再玩弄双标把戏，大搞“例外主义”。在海洋问题上，美国为享受更多所谓“海上自由”，一面拒绝批准《联合国海洋法公约》，一面不时搬出《公约》条款指责中国；面对WTO裁决，美国在胜诉时会第一时间欢呼，败诉时则拒不执行，甚至指责WTO没有资格评判对错。类似例子不胜枚举，说到底，美国只想用尽于己有利的国际规则和国际法赋予的权利，却不愿承担义务，还企图利用其所编织的“家法”“帮规”规制别国，如意算盘打得全世界都听得一清二楚。

美国践踏国际规则无原则、无底线。长期以来，美国打着各种旗号穷兵黩武，从越南至格林纳达，从伊拉克到叙利亚，造成极为严重的无辜平民伤亡和财产损失，严重践踏《联合国宪章》宗旨和原则。前不久中国民用无人飞艇因不可抗力飘入美领空，美国歇斯底里地执意动武击落，明显违背了《芝加哥公约》关于不得使用武力的原则。美国惯于将国内法凌驾国际法之上，在全球大搞单边制裁、滥施长臂管辖，甚至导致救援物资难以进入叙利亚地震灾区，严重影响当地人道主义救援。耐人寻味的是，美国这个天天把人权挂在嘴边的国家因为其国内法与《联合国儿童权利公约》对未成年人定义标准不同，至今仍拒绝批准该公约，导致童婚现象仍大量存在。美国还无视大国责任和国际承诺，过家家般不断“退群”“毁约”，严重扰乱和破坏全球治理机制。试问这样一个视国际规则如儿戏的国家又有何资格大言不惭谈论所谓“基于规则的国际秩序”？

美国用“规则”是拉山头、搞胁迫。美国政府在对华政策中屡屡提及“基于规则的国际秩序”，污蔑中国为“规则和秩序的破坏者”，企图给中国的国际活动扣上“原罪”帽子，企图逼中国按它的“帮规”行事。美国以其炮制的规则划线，顺其者昌，逆其者亡，大搞“胁迫外交”，只会让国际社会更加分裂，天下更不太平。日内瓦高级国际关系与发展学院相蓝欣教授不久前撰文表示，“美国谈论捍卫‘基于规则的国际秩序’骗不了任何人”“没有得到世界上大多数人口的支持”。

作为第一个在联合国宪章上签字的创始会员国，中国历来坚定维护联合国宪章宗旨和原则，维护以联合国为核心的国际体系，维护以国际法为基础的国际秩序。中国全方位参与多边事务，加入了几乎所有普遍性政府间国际组织和600多项国际公约，对外缔结超过2.7万项双边条约，认真履行自身国际义务。同时，中国在履行国际规则中也表现出最大诚意，即使是WTO做出不利裁决，中国也决不会象美国那样直接把裁决当废纸。

历史和现实一再证明，国际上的问题不在于缺少规则，而在于美国这样的国家破坏规则甚至肆意打造“家法”“帮规”。谁是国际规则和秩序的最大乱源，谁又是坚定维护者，世界人民的眼睛是雪亮的。试图垄断国际规则和秩序的制定权和解释权，奉行强权即规则、即公理的做法注定不得人心。中国愿同各国进一步加强团结合作，践行多边主义，携手构建人类命运共同体，推动全球治理朝着公平合理的方向发展。

‘Rules-based international order’ is rhetorical tool for US

It’s not hard to notice in recent years that some US politicians cannot stop talking about “rules-based international order” when it comes to China, while styling Uncle Sam as the ultimate defender of international fairness and justice. However, US actions suggest otherwise. The benign-sounding name is simply a disguise of the United States to split the world and subdue others, and the cunning trick could deceive no one.

The United States uses international law in a selective way. The world has long come to a conclusion about the principal tenets of the “international order”. As China stressed, there is only one international system, i.e., the international system with the United Nations at its core; there is only one international order, i.e., the international order underpinned by international law; and there is only one set of rules, i.e., the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

However, the United States, as a founding member of the United Nations, is chipping away at the global system and rules that it previously helped to build, and is practicing double-standards and exceptionalism to prolong its hegemony.

For example, on the maritime issue, the United States on the one hand refuses to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but on the other hand accuses China of breaching the convention. On World Trade Organization rulings, the United States applauds the result if it wins the case, but when it loses, it asserts that the WTO is not qualified to make a judgment and refuses to enforce the verdict.

For the United States, international law is just a convenient tool to counter the rise of others, and it has no interest in undertaking duties arising therefrom. It sometimes goes even further to take the law into its own hands, and tries to make its “gang rules” globally binding.

The United States wantonly tramples on international rules. The United States has been militaristic for many years. From Vietnam and Grenada to Iraq and Syria, the US has caused grievous civilian casualties and property losses, contravening the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Its military attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship that drifted into US airspace earlier this year is another example of its violation of international rules — the “no use of force” principle of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Under the pretension of its domestic law, the United States has imposed far too many unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdictions at its will, increasing the distress on others and impeding humanitarian relief efforts. The slowed aid delivery to quake-hit Syria by US sanctions last month is a case in point.

The United States has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child just because the definition of minors in the convention differs from that in its own law. That’s why today we see that a country that claims to protect human rights is also home to a large number of prematurely married minors. 

The United States also disregards its global responsibilities and disrupts the global governance system by walking away from international treaties and organizations, treating global rules like nothing.

Given such a track record, it’s not surprising that more countries questioned the credibility of “rules-based international order” that the United States brags about.

The United States resorts to coercion for continued hegemony. The US’ China policy smears China as a “destroyer of rules and order” and tries to force China to behave based on America’s “rules-based international order”. But in reality, the United States only makes the world more divisive and less peaceful by drawing lines and engaging in coercive diplomacy. As Professor Xiang Lanxin of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva put it, US talk of defending the “rules-based order” is fooling no one, and its order is not supported by a significant portion of the world’s population.

China, as the first signatory to the UN Charter, has always firmly upheld the purposes and principles of the charter, the international system with the UN as the core, and the international order underpinned by international law. 

We take an active part in multilateral affairs. To date, we have joined almost all intergovernmental international organizations and more than 600 international conventions, and concluded 27,000-plus bilateral treaties. At the same time, we implement international rules with the utmost sincerity. Unlike the United States, we never see WTO rulings not favorable to China as pieces of waste paper.

History has proved time and again that the crux of many global issues is not the shortness of rules, but that countries like the United States overstep rules and create “gang rules”. People all over the world are aware of who challenges international order and who defends it. The practice of pursuing power politics will win no support.

China always believes in the power of multilateralism, unity and cooperation. We will continue to work with others to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make global governance of our world more fair and equitable for all.