Full Text of Li Peng's Message to Human Rights Magazine

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 11, 2002

Full Text of Li Peng's Message to Human Rights Magazine

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Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, sent a message of congratulation to China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) for the launch of Human Rights magazine.

Following is the full text of the message:

China Society for Human Rights Studies, I would like to extend my warm greetings to the launch of HumanRights magazine.

Enjoying human rights fully is a lofty goal long pursued after by human race. Over the years when they carried out revolution, construction and reforms, the Chinese people have struggled indomitably and strived incessantly to achieve this goal. Progressmade in this regard has caught worldwide attention. When struggling for, safeguarding, promoting and developing human rights, the Chinese people have always combined the universality principle of human rights with the realities of contemporary Chinaand developed their own ideal, concept and experience.

Development of human rights is an important aspect of social development of all countries. It is also a never-ending historicalprocess. While universal, human rights have their peculiarities. Owing to differences in historical background, social system, cultural tradition and the level of economic development, different countries and peoples have different understandings of human rights. It is neither realistic nor possible to require all countries to endorse one view and accept one mode. Nor is it proper and rational to gauge and evaluate the human rights conditions of various countries by using the human rights mode of one country or region as the yardstick. Espousal of the universality principle of human rights must be combined with the national conditions of particular countries.

China respects the international community's universality principle of human rights and supports the United Nations in making efforts to promote and protect human rights in accordance with the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. China, on the basis of its national conditions, has always prioritized the safeguarding and promoting of people's rights to subsistence and development and, at the same time, kept strengthening citizens' economic, social and cultural rights as well as their political rights. After long-term explorations and consistent efforts, we have found a correct path for the promotionand development of human rights that is suited for Chinese conditions. Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy all rights as provided for in the Constitution. And this is the basic human rights standard in China. Human rights conditions in China have kept improving and are now at their best. The Chinese people are well aware of this and the international community highly evaluates progress China has made in its human rights conditions. In improving its human rights conditions, China has made importantcontributions to the progress of human rights in the world.

China's affairs can only be managed by its people. As a countryruled by law, China has much to do concerning the safeguarding of citizens' sacred rights. Related laws need to be amended. This is something the Chinese people need to do and do well. We pay attention to and actively absorb the progressive achievements of the civilizations of other countries, and are willing to actively participate in meaningful dialogues and exchanges on various topics on the basis of mutual respect and complete equality and continue to study and explore the human rights issue. But we are firmly opposed to interfering in other countries' internal affairsby using the human rights issue, firmly opposed to the neo-interventionist fallacy about "human rights transcending over sovereignty", firmly opposed to applying double standards on the human rights issue, and firmly opposed to pursuing hegemony and power politics under the guise of human rights.

The launch of Human Rights magazine is of great significance. Ihope people involved would work hard and run it well to make it a medium that reflects Chinese people's practice of safeguarding andpromoting human rights, a garden where human rights-related theories are studied and explored, and a window through which people in China who care about human rights can have dialogues andexchanges with foreign academic circles. I hope the magazine wouldplay a positive role in promoting human rights in China and in therest of the world.

Li Peng

Jan. 30, 2002

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