Zhao Qizheng, minister of the State Council Information Office,
during an interview on February 10 with
Human Rights, a
bimonthly magazine launched the same day, gave an overview of the
status quo and prospects of human rights causes in China, analyzed
some fundamental elements behind the divergence of views on human
rights between Chinese and Western people, and talked about the
Chinese government's position on the issue.
Chinese people are enjoying unprecedented freedom and personal
rights, and -- as the economy continues to develop and society
progresses -- will continue to enjoy human rights on an even wider
scale and at a higher level, Zhao said.
Some foreign countries have doubts and misunderstandings about
China's human rights practices owing to misunderstandings about
China that have been exacerbated by distortions published in the
Western media, Zhao said. To present to the world the true human
rights situation in China as well as the Chinese government's
position on the issue, the State Council Information Office issued
on November 1, 1991 Human Rights in
China, the nation's first white paper on human rights. It makes
clear China's view on the Chinese practice of promoting and
protecting human rights in combination with universal principles on
human rights accepted by the entire international community. The
paper also lays out the historical process that China has undergone
from a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to a people's
democratic modern society with great changes achieved in the human
rights.
This first declaration by the Information Office was followed up by
regular white papers and articles to inform the world about the
improvements in human rights in China. These included six white
papers under the title of human rights as well as 12 white papers
and some articles on issues involving human rights: Rehabilitation
of those convicted of crimes, rural poverty-relief and development,
women, children, family planning, ethnic minorities, religion and
Tibet.
The office also published substantive articles to refute with facts
distortions and attacks from some Western countries, such as the
United States in its China section of The Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State
to the U.S. Congress. In addition, the office reciprocated by
publishing its own report on the US human rights record.
The China's publication of 18 white papers on human rights over the
past 10 years in itself marks China's openness and progress in the
field of human rights, Zhao said. And -- unlike in the publications
of some countries that take it upon themselves to act to criticize
others as "judge of world human rights" -- China's white papers on
human rights elaborate more its own theories and practices in a
positive attempt to protect and develop human rights. Rather than
arrogantly imposing its own views on the others, China seeks to
have dialogue and exchanges with the international community on an
equal footing and with mutual respect for the purpose of common
progress and development.
According to Zhao, some of China's basic views on human rights have
won wide understanding, support and acknowledgement in the rest of
the world, especially in developing countries. The most important
reason, of course, is that China has indeed made outstanding
achievements in protecting human rights and that China's human
rights concept is fair and reasonable and in conformity with
international standards. Also, this acceptance undoubtedly has much
to do with China's unremitting efforts to present and explain its
human rights situation and ideas to other countries and
regions.
Zhao pointed out that great differences exist between China and the
West on human rights issues. Ten times since 1990, some Western
countries headed by the United States have put forward anti-China
proposals at the annual session of the United Nations Human Rights
Commission. Each time, these efforts have ended in failure, but the
Western countries never totally give up. This reflects great
contradictions and divergence between Western countries and China
on human rights that can be divided into two categories: One
involves the understanding of the facts; the other involves the
concept of human rights. Of the two, the difference of opinion on
the human rights concept is more fundamental since people are prone
to reach different conclusions from the same facts because of their
different concepts about human rights.
China's human rights conditions need improving in many aspects.
However, in the some 20-odd years since China began carrying out
reform and opening-up policies, much progress has been made. The
development can be seen not only in the improvement in fulfilling
people's basic needs and development rights and economic, social
and cultural rights, but also in the strengthening of democracy and
legal construction and expansion and maintenance of civil rights
and political rights. In fact, the realization of human rights is a
developing process closely related with civilization and the
progress of society. Due to different levels of economic
development, history and culture, different countries will
naturally take different development ways that follow different
human rights patterns. It neither complies with human development
laws nor follows basic human rights spirit to force all countries
of the world to take the same development mode and the same human
rights pattern.
Zhao Qizheng said that improving China's human rights situation is
an undertaking in accordance with the fundamental interests of the
Chinese people and an important goal of China in promoting the full
progress of society. The Chinese government and people are willing
to put long-term and unremitting efforts into the effort. China is
ready to absorb the experiences of other countries and fully employ
all fine achievements in human civilization. The country sincerely
welcomes good suggestions and goodwill criticism on China's human
rights development from all countries, organizations and
personalities that show concern about China's human rights
conditions.
It
is not surprising, Zhao said, that Western countries and China
might have differences over the issue of human rights because of
their various histories, cultures, religions, social systems,
economic development levels and ideologies. Yet these differences
should not act an excuse for confrontation and as a barrier to
understanding, but they should act as a stimulus for communications
and learning from each other.
"We believe that the solution to differences is to diminish them
instead of exaggerating them. Both sides should have a calm
dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect. They
shouldn't force their own views on others. As to those
international sources that have misunderstandings about China's
human rights situation -- or even hostility towards China -- we
hope these tensions can be reduced through dialogue, communications
and exchanges. We should aspire to better understanding and
expanded cooperation. If no common understanding can be reached, we
should seek common ground while downplaying differences. We,
however, oppose people's making human rights a political issue to
use to interfere in China's internal affairs, damage our social
stability and international honor and impede the development of the
country. In recent years, China has conducted multi-level dialogues
with many Western countries, including the US, EU countries,
Canada, and Australia, that have promoted mutual understanding and
cooperation. I hope this kind of effective dialogue will continue,"
Zhao said.
Zhao added that the primary goal, ideal, and substance of human
rights are the same. Yet people have different views on the
guarantee of human rights since the modes and methods to realize
human rights are different in countries with different histories,
cultures, and development stages. Oriental culture, including
traditional Chinese culture, puts more stress on harmony between
individuals and society at large. Therefore, the coordination
between individual and collective rights is of major importance in
the field of human rights. Western culture, however, pays more
attention to individuals, individual liberty and individual values.
The separation between the individual and the state -- or society
at large -- is emphasized in relation to human rights. In addition,
the issue of human rights is closely linked with economic
development. Many developing countries must attach primary
importance to overall development to assure people's right to
survival and to safeguard people's right to economic and cultural
development. As development is the most important and primary issue
in these countries, this goes before all other matters -- including
human rights. Moreover, Oriental countries, compared with their
counterparts in the West, have different views and understanding
about marriage and family. These, to a large degree, have to do
with the history, culture and development level of each
country.
According to Zhao, progress in China's human rights finds its prime
expression in great changes in Chinese people's living conditions
in the past 20 years. Ever since 1978, Chinese government has been
implementing the reform and opening-up policy steadily, which has
greatly promoted China's economic development and improved people's
living standards. From 1979 to 2000, China's national economy grew
at an annual rate of 9.5 percent. The number of people living below
the poverty level decreased from 250 million in 1978 to less than
30 million, with a population of 220 million out of poverty within
23 years, which is unprecedented not only in China's history, but
also in the world. The great improvement in the living status of
1.3 billion Chinese people, accounting for one-fifth of the world
population, is historic in the developmental history of China's
human rights. At the same time, this is also the huge contribution
China has made to the world's course on human rights'
development.
Since late 1970s, the Chinese government, in accordance with the
country's actual conditions and in a systematic and gradual way,
has been working on the establishment of democratic and legal
systems to facilitate overall advancement of the Chinese society
and guarantee people's citizens' rights and political rights. Now,
Chinese people are enjoying rights of freedom and personal legal
rights that were never granted before in history, such as the
freedom to be personally involved in business, commerce, and
cultural activities, the freedom of choosing one's career; the
freedom of speech and publications, legal protections for personal
rights, etc. Meanwhile, great progress has been made in every
aspect of these areas.
China always fully participates in the activities in the field of
international human rights, especially those regarding United
Nation's human rights activities. She respects the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights as well as the UN Agreements on Human
Rights and its basic principles. So far, China has been ratified to
join 18 international conventions on human rights. Based on the
nation's actual situation, China has incorporated their principles
on human rights protection into Chinese laws.
The world situation nowadays is very complicated. Fighting for
national interests as well as clashes between different ethnic
groups, religions, cultures and values make it very possible that
these elements could one day escalate to affect -- even threaten --
world peace and security. Against such a global background, China,
as a big multinational country with various religions, has
maintained her social stability, with different ethnic groups
living in harmony, and achieved a fast and sustainable economic
development to gradually improved people's living standard. All
these are definitely huge achievements by China that should be
valued.
Zhao said that China still has much more to do to improve human
rights. The biggest problems: The some 30 million rural people
without enough to eat and wear, the 85.07 million people above 15
years old who are illiterate or semi-illiterate, a low level of
medical and health care, and difficulties in protecting workers'
interests. Moreover, a porous legal system, low efficiency in law
enforcement, and infringement of citizens' rights by
law-enforcement officials are still anything but rare. The Chinese
government always keeps a strong commitment to safeguarding human
rights and is resolved to stop any infringement on human rights as
it can.
"But we all know that as China's development moves forward,
problems that emerge from the development process in no way can be
solved in a short time. Perseverance, patience is what we need,
along with resolve and confidence, to find solutions for the
problems."
Zhao expressed his full confidence in the future of China's human
rights cause. "A more prosperous economy, a better life for people
and a more open and civilized society are expected to be achieved
through convergent endeavors of the state and the nation. Then
Chinese will enjoy better human rights. Now China is in an
important transition period and has bright prospects for future
development. I believe that every Chinese will actively work
towards a better tomorrow."
(Xinhua News
Agency, February 10, 2002, translated by staff of
china.org.cn)