Publishing date: Jul 09, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 6 minute read A woman takes a selfie as Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech is broadcasted on a large screen in Beijing during the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1. Photo by NOEL CELIS /AFP via Getty Images Article content Some five years ago, I published in these pages an article titled “Foreign Policy: Realism, idealism and hypocrisy.” In it I outlined some of the problems inherent in the tendency of western countries to expand the definition of foreign policy from the promotion and defence of national interests to include the promotion of democracy, respect for human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of religion. While these were indeed noble ideals, they were difficult to pursue in the real world. National interests are specific and finite, whereas the ideals are universal. If those ideals are to have meaning, they cannot be applied selectively, but that is precisely what western countries have done.