Experts hail China's human rights efforts

Researcher: Nation sets example for developing and developed countries

China is taking a down-to-earth approach on human rights protection by taking people as the central focus under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core, observers said.

This is distinctively different from some Western countries that brag about protecting human rights only by shouting slogans, they added.

Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow of the Center for China and Globalization, said that China's people-centered philosophy on safeguarding human rights as Xi has stressed on many occasions, is to make people happier by taking them toward better lives, better experiences and a better sense of fulfillment.

"If I have to tell my country or other people outside of China why China's approach delivers, it is because it is based on reality. It is a pragmatic approach that keeps its vision and focus on what matters the most, that is, the people," said the Pakistani, who has been in China for over six years.

She said that China has done incredibly well and set an example for not just Asia, not just developing countries, but also for many developed countries.

Li Yunlong, a professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said, "Putting people first is the starting point as well as the ultimate goal of the CPC, so this philosophy is also being applied on protecting people's human rights."

From the eradication of extreme poverty to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been following a path for human rights development that truly ensures everyone has access to the basic human rights, such as the right to live, he said.

However, Li said that in contrast, vulnerable groups in some Western countries still have no access to basic human rights even though it is stipulated in their laws.

Zhang Weiwei, dean of the China Institute at Fudan University, said that the United States is in fact the country with the most human rights problems among Western countries because it does not regard economic, social and cultural rights as human rights.

"The loss of hundreds of thousands of lives caused by the Afghan war and Iraqi war is a mass violation of human rights, particularly the right to live and develop," Zhang said.

According to Zhang, China has prioritized putting people first as the core human right, thus making great efforts to alleviate poverty and promote the modernization drive. "This has been proved to be a great success," he said.

Recently, a book that contains 335 pieces of Xi's discourses on respecting and safeguarding human rights was published by the Central Party Literature Press.

Lu Guangjin, secretary-general of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said that the book collected the precious experience that China has gained on human rights development since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012.

"The book reflected the latest results of the CPC Central Committee's understanding of human rights protection," Lu said.