China's Viewpoints on Human Rights Widely Supported by Developing Nations: Official

Home>>China

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

China's Viewpoints on Human Rights Widely Supported by Developing Nations: Official

China's basic views on human rights have won widespread understanding, support and recognition from fellow developing countries, said Zhao Qizheng, director- general of the State Council Information Office (SCIO).
Zhao made the remark in an interview with the Human Rights magazine which was launched Sunday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China Wins More Understanding and Support

Zhao made the remark in an interview with the Human Rights magazine which was launched Sunday. Published by China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), Human Rights bimonthly is China's first professional magazine on human rights issues.

People Biased Against China Still Exist

Zhao said that there are still people especially in the west who are biased against China or have misgivings or misunderstanding about China's human rights conditions, but less and less is the case in which China's progress in promoting human rights is totally negated and the country's human rights conditions are described as totally hopeless.

And from time to time, people have been able to hear, from United Nations officials and international figures, fair or positive comments on China's progress in promoting the human rights causes.

China's Concept Reasonable

Zhao attributed the transformation to the marked progress China has made in upholding human rights, to the fact that China's concept of human rights is reasonable and up to international standards. Meanwhile, he also attributed the changes to China's persistent work to explain how human rights fare in China and how China sees the question of human rights.

Issue Stems From Inadequate Understanding

The human rights issue stems from an inadequate understanding of the country, an issue about which there are doubts and misunderstanding, according to Zhao.

'Human Rights Offensive' on China

In 1991, sweeping changes took place in the Soviet Union and East Europe. As the cold war era came to an end, the United States and some other Western countries, for ideological reasons and reasons of value, lost no time to launch a "human rights offensive " on China.

They adopted resolutions and issued reports in which China's human rights conditions were pictured as hopeless, constantly creating various fallacies against China. Amid this anti-China hue and cry, some politicians in these countries sought to integrate the so-called "human rights issue" of China to the relations with the country, and began proposing anti-China resolutions on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. So the so-called "human rights issue" was turned into a matter of weight directly affecting China's international reputation and state interests.

Human Rights Conditions in China by SCIO

On November 1, 1991, SCIO published the Human Rights Conditions in China to present the world a true picture of the human rights conditions in the country and the stand of the Chinese Government on the issue of human rights. This, the very first white paper on human rights ever published by China, caused a great repercussion in and outside the country. Proceeding from an approach to combine the internationally applicable human rights principles and the practice of the Chinese people in promoting and protecting human rights, the white paper provided a full account of how China had developed from a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country into a country under people's democracy and the sweeping changes that had taken place in China's human rights conditions over the past decades. It also gave a clear-cut explanation to China's stand on the human rights issue and refuted the lies concocted by some Western media on the issue.

Continuous Efforts Made

Since then, SCIO has taken on the task of publishing, on a regular basis, white papers and reports on China's human rights conditions to inform the world of the progress the country has constantly made in promoting the cause of human rights. China has so far published six white papers directly entitled on human rights. Besides, China has published 12 white papers and a number of articles separately on human rights-related issues, including the reformation of criminals, the campaigns to eliminate poverty in rural areas, and Chinese women, children, family planning, ethnic groups, religions and Tibet, according to Zhao Qizheng.

Meanwhile, China has timely published articles that present the true facts and reason things out in reaction to attempts by Western countries to vilify China by misrepresenting China's human rights conditions, Zhao noted.

For example, the part on China in the country-by-country human rights report published annually by the U.S. Department of State. At times, China would counterattack by releasing reports such as the Report on the Human Rights Record of the United States. To some cases that the Western media sensationalized in distortion, such as the alleged existence of "political prisoners", selling of organs taken from executed criminals, export of goods produced in prison factories, torture of prison inmates and maltreatment of children at orphanages, China would organize field trips for foreign press to go to the places and see for themselves, or China would take the initiative to inform the world of the truth by giving news briefings and publishing articles.

In just ten years, China has published 18 white papers on human rights-related issues. This is something that few other countries have ever done, indicating that the Chinese society is becoming increasingly open and that the country has made good progress in promoting the human rights cause, Zhao remarked.

China's White Papers Differ From Others

Zhao Qizheng also pointed out that China's white papers on human rights are essentially different from those published by some other countries, for China has never tried to be the "human rights judge" for the world and indulged in attacking other countries.

China's Own Theories and Practice

The white papers just concentrate on explaining China's own human rights theories and practices, summing up its experiences in protecting human rights and promoting the human rights cause so that its human rights conditions will become even better. Neither has China tried to impose its views on others.

By informing the world of China's views and conditions, the country has been striving for dialogue and exchange with the international community on the basis of equality and mutual respect and for progress and development of all countries.

True-to-the-fact Understanding

In a fairly systematic and penetrating manner, China has, through publication of the white papers and by using other methods, explained to the world China's points of view on human rights and the practical work done in the country to promote human rights. By presenting a true picture of its human rights condition, China has belied those anti-China allegations, provided an official channel of information for those abroad who are genuinely concerned with the human rights conditions in China and helps the international community acquire an all-round, true-to-the-fact understanding of the issue, Zhao said.

China Launches First Magazine on Human Rights

Human Rights bimonthly, China's first professional magazine on human rights issues, was launched in Beijing Sunday, which aims to open an access for the international community to understand China's human rights conditions by narrating stories, discussing theories and initiating dialogues.

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

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.

Chinese People Enjoy More Freedom, Individual Rights Than Ever: Official

"Never in the past have the Chinese people enjoyed so much personal freedom and so many individual rights," said Zhao Qizheng, director-general of the State Council Information Office (SCIO). In step with China's economic development and social progress, the Chinese people will have human rights to enjoy in still more areas and at an even higher plane, Zhao said.

Different Views Between China and the West on Human Rights: Official

All countries, organizations and individuals are welcomed to propose ways of improving human rights conditions in China, and China is also ready to hear their criticisms, said Zhao Qizheng, director-general of the State Council Information Office (SCIO).

Click Here for Full Coverage of China's Human Rights Situation

Questions?Comments? Click here

China Launches First Magazine on Human Rights

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

Different Views Between China and the West on Human Rights: Official

>> Full Coverage