FM Spokesman on China's Passage of Two CovenantsChina has always respected the general principles of human rights and has made positive comments to the two human right covenants of the United Nations, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhu Bangzao said in Beijing on Tuesday.The Chinese government has carried out comprehensive and detailed studies on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is now preparing for their finalization, Zhu told a regular press conference in response to a journalist's question. In June 1998, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China held preliminary discussions on the passage of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and relevant departments have recorded new progress in their study and preparations relating to its passage in the past two years, Zhu said. He said the time is now ripe for the passage of the covenant, which is being deliberated by the NPC Standing Committee and is hopefully to be passed soon. Zhu said it is up to the country's top legislature whether China will hold any reservations to the covenant. Regarding the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Zhu said relevant departments of the State Council are stepping up researches before submitting a proposal to the NPC for approval. |
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