Human Rights Watch在华盛顿由Philippe Bolopion发布《World Report 2026》，主张美国、中国、俄罗斯虽互为战略对手，但在破坏「规则为本的国际秩序」上存在共同利益，因其将该秩序视为约束权力的障碍；三国领导人对可能限制其权力的规范与机构（如International Criminal Court、United Nations Human Rights Council）表现出公开蔑视。报告导论〈Will human rights survive a Trumpian world?〉要求「中等强国」组成跨区域联盟以维护人权生态系，点名Australia、Brazil、Canada、Japan、South Africa、South Korea、U.K.与European Union，并补充Costa Rica、Ghana、Malaysia、Mexico、Senegal、Sierra Leone、Vanuatu、Liechtenstein、Gambia等可参与者。报告同时判断India短期内不太可能加入，理由是Narendra Modi政府积极推动Hindu majoritarianism，使其难以自居人权倡议者。

Bolopion以Mark Carney于1月20日在瑞士达沃斯World Economic Forum的演讲作为当下氛围的概括：世界秩序出现「rupture」，强者可为所欲为；但Canada等「intermediate powers」并非无力，只要共同行动，仍可建立以价值与人权尊重为基础的新秩序。然而，现实是美国在亚洲的五个盟友Japan、South Korea、Australia、Philippines、Thailand并未积极拥抱Carney所指的路径。在Asia Society Policy Institute主办的美日同盟研讨会上，Hudson Institute Japan Chair副主任William Chou称许Japan刻意避免「empty gestures」，例如立即正式承认巴勒斯坦国，或公开呼应Carney的「middle power consortium」主张。

Human Rights Watch在一份529页报告中称Donald Trump第二任政府呈现对人权的公然漠视与严重侵害，在移民、健康、环境、劳动、身心障碍、性别、刑事司法与言论自由等领域出现明显倒退。就中国而言，报告称政府控制主要资讯管道并实施全球最严格的监控与审查体系，并列举Chen Pinlin因拍摄2022年White Paper protests相关影片被判刑三年半、Fu Cha因在Taiwan出版批判中国政府的翻译作品而在访中期间遭逮捕并被判刑、Mei Shilin因在成都地铁站外悬挂反政府布条而被强迫失踪。对Xinjiang，报告指当局持续将Uyghurs的日常行为（含穆斯林宗教实践）与极端主义、恐怖主义混同，施以惩罚并强迫同化。就Japan，报告称其难民认定制度强烈偏向不给予难民身分：2024年法务省收受12,373件庇护申请，仅认定190人为难民（约1.5%）；在移工人数空前与外国观光客创纪录的背景下，右翼政党于7月参议院选举以排外言论动员选民。

Human Rights Watch, launched in Washington by Philippe Bolopion as the nonprofit’s World Report 2026, argues that the United States, China, and Russia—despite being strategic adversaries—share a common interest in disrupting the rules-based order because they view it as an obstacle that constrains power; the three are led by leaders who show open disdain for norms and institutions that could limit them, such as the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Human Rights Council. The opening essay, “Will human rights survive a Trumpian world?”, calls for a cross-regional alliance of “middle powers” to defend the human-rights ecosystem, naming Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, the U.K., and the European Union, and adding potential contributors including Costa Rica, Ghana, Malaysia, Mexico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Vanuatu, Liechtenstein, and Gambia. The report says India is unlikely to join for now because the Narendra Modi administration promotes Hindu majoritarianism, undercutting any claim to be a human-rights champion.

Bolopion points to Mark Carney’s Jan. 20 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as capturing the moment: a “rupture” in world order where the strong can do as they please, while “intermediate powers” like Canada can still build a new order based on values and respect for human rights if they act together. In practice, the United States’ five Asian allies—Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand—have not been eager to embrace that path. At an Asia Society Policy Institute seminar on the U.S.-Japan alliance, Hudson Institute Japan Chair deputy director William Chou praised Japan for avoiding “empty gestures,” such as immediate formal recognition of a Palestinian state or publicly celebrating Carney’s call for a “middle power consortium.”

In its 529-page report, Human Rights Watch says Donald Trump’s second administration has shown blatant disregard for human rights and committed egregious violations, with significant backward steps across immigration, health, environment, labor, disability, gender, criminal justice, and freedom of speech rights. On China, it says the government controls major information channels and runs one of the world’s most stringent surveillance and censorship regimes, citing Chen Pinlin’s three-and-a-half-year sentence for a film about the 2022 White Paper protests, Fu Cha’s arrest and sentencing after visiting China for publishing translated works critical of the government in Taiwan, and the forced disappearance of Mei Shilin for hanging anti-government banners in Chengdu. On Xinjiang, it says authorities conflate ordinary Uyghur behavior, including Muslim religious practice, with extremism and terrorism, punishing people and forcing assimilation. On Japan, it says the asylum system is strongly oriented against granting refugee status: in 2024 the Justice Ministry received 12,373 asylum applications but recognized only 190 refugees (about 1.5%), while right-wing parties used xenophobic rhetoric in July’s upper house election amid unprecedented migrant-worker presence and record foreign tourism.