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President Jiang Meets UN Human Rights High Commissioner
President Jiang Zemin said in Beijing on November 21 that different countries should join efforts to explore effective ways in promoting and protecting human rights through dialog based on equality and mutual respect.
Jiang made the remarks during a meeting with Mary Robinson, high commissioner for human rights of the United Nations, who arrived in Beijng November 20 for a two-day visit.
The president said the Chinese Government has always supported international exchange and cooperation in the area of human rights because each country has its own way, approach and process in realizing their human rights aspirations due to its specific history, culture, social system and development level.
The world should be a colorful one, he stressed. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should have the right to choose their own form of democracy and political system.
Mary Robinson agreed with Jiang that the world should be a colorful one and each country has its own specific national conditions. She said that since she became high commissioner she stressed that the economic, social, cultural and political rights of citizens be given equal status. She also urged dialog on human rights issues.
She noted that the Chinese Government has conducted fruitful exchange and cooperation with many countries on the promotion and protection of human rights, and has won praises from the international community.
She said the high commissioner's office will cooperate more with the Chinese Government in the area of human rights.
She and Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Guangya signed a memorandum of understanding concerning technical cooperation on human rights on November 20.
Jiang said China's economic, socialist ethics and legal construction is to ensure that the 1.2 billion Chinese people can live and work in peace and contentment, and enjoy different kinds of human rights and basic freedom.
China, the largest developing country in the world, is still relatively backward in the level of education and productivity, Jiang said. Therefore, the Chinese Government must take this into consideration when handling things.
Vice-Premier Meets UN Human Rights High Commissioner
Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen told the visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, on November 20 that the Chinese government advocates international cooperation in the area of human rights and hopes to further promote cooperation with other countries in this regard.
During a meeting with Robinson, Qian hailed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the development and implementation of human rights technical cooperation programs between Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya and Robinson.
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