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The Chinese government always respects the purpose and principle
of the Charter of the United Nations for promoting and protecting
human rights, supports the UN efforts in this regard and actively
participates in the UN activities in the realm of human rights.
The Chinese government has always attached great importance to
the positive role of international conventions on human rights in
promoting and protecting human rights, and has approved or acceded
to 18 such conventions. The Chinese government signed the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in October 1997 and October
1998, respectively. On February 28, 2001, the former covenant was
deliberated and ratified at the 20th meeting of the Ninth NPC Standing
Committee. This fully demonstrates the Chinese government's positive
attitude toward carrying out international cooperation in human
rights as well as China's firm determination and confidence in promoting
and protecting human rights. In September 2000, the Chinese government
signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography, becoming one of the first signatory countries to this
Convention. China has always taken seriously those international
conventions on human rights it has ratified, adopted various measures
to fulfill its duties under these conventions and submitted timely
reports on their implementation, as stipulated by related conventions,
for deliberation and discussion by related UN organs. In 2000, the
Chinese government submitted to the UN its eighth and ninth reports
on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and, in a timely manner, presented
to the UN its report on the implementation of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. These have helped the UN concerned departments
and the international community to gain a better understanding of
the human rights situation in China.
China attaches importance to the role of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in promoting and protecting human
rights, and has actively cooperated with the United Nations Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In March 2000, the Chinese
government and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
together successfully sponsored the Eighth Symposium on Human Rights
in the Asian-Pacific Region in Beijing, with representatives from
over 40 Asian-Pacific countries attending. Chinese President Jiang
Zemin wrote a letter congratulating the opening of the symposium,
and Vice-Premier of the State Council Qian Qichen attended and spoke
at the symposium. Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights, made a special trip to China to attend the symposium. In
November 2000, Mary Robinson visited China again on invitation.
During her stay in China, President Jiang Zemin and Vice-Premier
Qian Qichen met with her, respectively, and the Chinese Foreign
Ministry signed with her the Memorandum of Understanding Between
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the Mutual Agreement to Cooperate in the Development and
Implementation of Technical Cooperation Programs. It is defined
in the Memorandum that China will carry out project cooperation
with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in
the two coming years in the fields of judicial administration, human
rights education and legal system, as well as the fulfillment of
the right to development and the economic, social and cultural rights.
China has actively carried out cooperation with the special rapporteurs
and working groups on thematic issues of the UN Commission on Human
Rights. It has twice invited the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
of the UN Commission on Human Rights to visit China, and the Special
Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance has also visited China on invitation.
China has, in a timely and earnest manner, answered the letters
on human rights transmitted by the special rapporteurs of the Commission
on Human Rights and other UN human rights mechanisms, clearing up
a number of facts and helping the UN and international community
toward a better understanding of China. In addition, China and the
UN Development Program also jointly sponsored an international symposium
on the problem of cults, to carry out exchanges and explore on how
to deal with cults and safeguard human rights by various countries.
China has consistently advocated carrying out dialogues and exchanges
by all countries on the human rights issue on the basis of equality
and mutual respect so as to enhance understanding, promote consensus
and reduce differences. In February and September 2000, respectively,
China held the ninth and tenth dialogues on human rights with the
European Union. China and the European Union held the fourth and
fifth judicial symposiums in May and December, respectively. In
February and October respectively, China and Britain held the fourth
and fifth dialogues on human rights. In August, China held its fourth
human rights dialogue with Australia. In October, China and Canada
held the sixth dialogue on human rights. In May, China and Norway
jointly held the fourth round-table meeting on human rights and
the rule of law. In June, China, Canada and Norway held the Third
Symposium on Human Rights in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2000, China held
consultations and exchanges on human rights with Cuba, Laos and
many other developing countries. In October, China successfully
held the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation -- Ministerial Conference
Beijing 2000 in Beijing, with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and
four heads of state from Africa, nearly 80 ministers from 45 African
countries and leaders of related international and regional organizations
attending. In the Sino- African Cooperative Forum Beijing Declaration
adopted at the meeting, it is emphasized that the principle of universality
of human rights and basic freedoms should be respected, and the
diversity of the world and the principle of seeking common ground
while reserving differences must be safeguarded; that each country
has the right to choose different ways and modes of promoting and
protecting human rights domestically; and that politicalizing the
issue of human rights and attaching human rights conditions to economic
aid are themselves violations of human rights, and therefore should
be firmly opposed.
The progress of human rights is an important aspect of the social
development of all countries, and it is a historical process of
continuous advance. China is a developing country with a huge population.
Due to restrictions of nature, history, level of development and
other factors, the human rights cause in China is in the process
of developing, and there is still much room for further improvement
in its human rights situation. In the light of China's national
conditions and according to the people's wishes, the Chinese government
aims to build a democratic and modernized country with a high level
of civilization under the rule of law, actively learn from the beneficial
experiences and cultural achievements of other countries, and, while
maintaining social stability, expedite development, strengthen the
democratic and legal systems, promote social ethical progress, and
continuously push forward the development of the human rights cause
in China. At the same time, China will, as always, actively participate
in international activities in the realm of human rights, carry
out wide-ranging cooperation and exchanges with other countries,
and make its due contribution to promoting the healthy development
of the international human rights cause.
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