Xi: Pursuit of human rights remains priority

President notes huge strides, says Party has safeguarded social equity, justice

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has emphasized unswerving adherence to China's path of human rights development, saying that whether human rights are upheld in a country cannot be judged by the criteria of others.

While presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday, Xi also said human rights cannot be detached from the context of countries' different social and political conditions, history and cultural traditions. Therefore, the practices of applying double standards or using human rights issues as political tools to interfere in others' internal affairs must be opposed, he added.

Noting that respecting and protecting human rights is a persistent pursuit of the Party, Xi said that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has continued to make the respect for and protection of human rights an important agenda of national governance, and has prompted historic achievements in China's human rights development.

The problem of absolute poverty has been resolved, and whole-process people's democracy has been further developed, social equity and justice firmly safeguarded, and the world's largest education, social security and healthcare systems established, Xi said while highlighting some of the progress in human rights development.

He added that China has effectively responded to COVID-19 to protect the health and safety of the people to the greatest extent possible, and the nation maintains that all ethnic groups across the country are equal, respects people's religious beliefs, and safeguards the lawful rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups.

China has ensured long-term social stability, and it is the only major country in the world that has consecutively formulated and enforced four national human rights action plans, Xi said.

In September, China issued its fourth human rights action plan, which lists a range of goals for the 2021-25 period, including economic, social and cultural rights, civil and political rights, education and environment rights, and minority group rights.

It also reiterates that the Chinese government will hold fast to its people-centered approach and exert itself to meet the people's growing expectations for human rights protection.

In the practice of advancing the cause of human rights, China has blazed a path of human rights development that is consistent with the trend of the times and suits the nation's conditions, Xi said.

Upholding the Party's leadership can ensure that people are the master of the country and people's fundamental interests can be realized, safeguarded and well developed, Xi said.

He underlined the importance of protecting the people's democratic rights to enable the people to be the participants, promoters and beneficiaries of the country's human rights development, saying that concrete efforts must be made to advance people's all-around development and the common prosperity of the whole of the people.

Saying that promoting human rights development should be based on national conditions, Xi stressed the need to ensure that people enjoy extensive, full, tangible and specific human rights that are effective and workable.

He said that living a happy life is the biggest human right for the people. The people-centered development philosophy must be upheld to strive for higher-quality, more efficient, much fairer, more sustainable and more secure development to allow the people to have a better sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Xi underscored the importance of protecting human rights in accordance with the law, urging efforts to improving legal systems to protect people's life, property and other political rights.

He also emphasized actively promoting global governance on human rights, upholding the common values of humanity, and advancing the global governance on human rights in a fairer, more equitable, rational and inclusive direction.