Endemic human rights abuse 

Of course China is not the only country in the world to which we apply duplicitous standards when it comes to human rights. Saudi Arabia springs to mind, for example. And then there is Pakistan. Yesterday in Lahore a 45 year old Christian mother of five was sentenced to death for the supposed crime of “blasphemy”. It is alleged that Asia Bibi said rude things about the prophet Mohammed, something she fervently denies. Christians are routinely vilified, persecuted and beaten up in the country and while the major Pakistani political parties sometimes offer measured condemnations of such behaviour the perpetrators are almost never brought to justice. We are wary, however, of saying anything which might further inflame this corrupt and toxic Islamic hellhole and it is doubtful that Mrs Bibi will gain the sort of press coverage which is afforded to equally grotesque judicial savagery in neighbouring Iran.