Human
Rights
The Chinese government
sets a high value on the World Human Rights Declaration, considering
it to be the first international document which has put forward
concrete specifications regarding respect for and protection of
basic human rights in a systematic way, and forms a basis for
practice in the field of international human rights. In addition,
the Chinese government believes that while striving to realize
the principle of universality of human rights, it is also necessary
to take account of the concrete conditions of each country. As
different countries adopt different social systems, with different
economic development levels, different histories, cultures and
traditions, they have different opinions on human rights, and
should take different paths to realizing human rights.
Out of consideration of
its own history and national conditions, and in accordance with
its long-standing practice, China has formed its own viewpoints
on the issue of human rights, and has worked out corresponding
laws and policies. China??s human rights have three remarkable
characteristics: First, extensiveness. All the Chinese people
enjoy human rights, rather than a small number of people, or a
part of the people of some classes and strata. In addition, the
sphere of human rights enjoyed by Chinese citizens is extensive,
including not only rights to subsistence, personal rights and
political rights, but also economic, cultural and social rights.
The state attaches great importance to guaranteeing personal rights,
as well as to safeguarding collective human rights. Second, fairness.
All Chinese citizens are equal before the law. All rights enjoyed
by citizens as prescribed by the Constitution and the law shall
not be restricted by money, property status, ethnic status, race,
sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education,
or length of residence. Third, authenticity. The state guarantees
the realization of human rights in terms of systems, law and materials.
The rights enjoyed by the people in reality are identified with
the citizens* rights prescribed by the Constitution and laws,
hence winning support
from all ethnic groups, people of all strata, all political parties,
all social organizations and all social circles in China.
To a country and a nation,
human rights firstly mean the people??s rights to subsistence;
and development is the basis for promoting and protecting human
rights. Since the founding of the PRC, the Chinese government
has always taken it as the most important and most urgent task
to make people have enough to eat and wear, and has made unremitting
efforts in this regard. Since 1979, China has adopted the policy
of reform and opening to the outside world, with economic construction
as the core, thus greatly promoting the development of the social
productive forces. By the end of the 1980s, China had basically
solved the issue of making the people have enough to eat and wear,
thus basically solving the problem concerning the people??s rights
to subsistence. Now China, full of confidence, is promoting reform
and opening to the outside world in an all-round way, developing
the national economy and helping people live better-off lives.
China participates in international
human rights activities with an active attitude, having signed,
approved and joined nearly 20 international human rights conventions,
including the International Convention on Economic, Rocial and
Cultural Rights, and the International Convention on Citizens
Rights and Political Rights. The Chinese government has earnestly
performed its duties as prescribed by these conventions through
domestic legislation, and judicial and administrative measures,
and submits reports on the implementation of the rules of these
conventions to the supervisory and executive organs of the conventions
regularly.
