A Chinese senior advisor on Thursday stressed the importance of promoting human rights development for the construction of a harmonious world.

"Human rights development is a prerequisite for the construction of a harmonious world," said Luo Haocai, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body.

Luo made the remark in a meeting with officials from South Africa, Brazil, Ukraine and Indonesia attending an international symposium on human rights which opened on Wednesday in Beijing.

He said China held that every country had the right to choose its own social system and way of human rights development and the human rights of the people of small, weak and developing countries should be respected.

Luo suggested different countries promote mutual understanding through dialogue, enhance development through exchanges and achieve progress through cooperation.

Luo also briefed guests on China's economic and social development and the system of the CPPCC.

Jody Kollapen, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of South Africa, said he was encouraged by China's leadership in the human rights issue and he had noticed the common desire of Chinese people to live in harmony during this visit.

Kollapen said the world faced many problems, such as poverty, underdevelopment and suffering, and during the symposium officials from different countries had gathered to discuss the promotion of world development.

The three-day symposium sponsored by the China Society for Human Rights Studies has drawn more than 70 human rights experts, scholars and officials from 19 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and America.

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2006)