Some government officials in East Asian nations have boldly proclaimed an alternative to the Western cultural model by declaring an adherence to traditional "Asian values."
Asian values are typically described as embodying the Confucian ideals of respect for authority, hard work, thrift, and the belief that the community is more important than the individual. This is said to be coupled with a preference for economic, social, and cultural rights rather than political rights. The most frequent criticism of these values is that they run contrary to the universality of human rights and tend to condone undemocratic undercurrents in some countries, including the suppression of dissidents, and the excessive use of national security laws.