China respects and upholds human rights, and China's Constitution has comprehensive stipulations on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens, says a white paper released Thursday on the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics.

The state has promulgated a series of laws and regulations and has developed a comparatively complete legal system to protect human rights, according to the white paper?titled "The Socialist System of Laws with Chinese Characteristics."

The state ensures the citizens' right to subsistence and development, personal rights and property rights, freedom of religious belief, of speech, of the press, of the assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration, the right to social security and education, as well as other economic, political, social and cultural rights, according to the white paper, Xinhua reported.

The Constitution stipulates that Chinese citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion, it says.

The State Council has also promulgated the Regulations on Religious Affairs.

Currently China has a total of more than 100 million believers in various religions, and the state fully protects its citizens' freedom of religious belief, it says.

The Constitution also provides that citizens who have suffered losses as a result of infringement of their civic rights by any state organ or functionary have the right to compensation in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Released by the State Council Information Office, the white paper introduces the establishment, components and features of the socialist system of laws and hails the establishment of the system as an important milestone in China's development of socialist democracy and the legal system.