Push for new developments in China's human rights

4. Rights of ethnic minorities have been better guaranteed. The state has continued to adopt preferential policies for ethnic minorities and has increased funds for accelerating socioeconomic development in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. Significant progress has been made toward guaranteeing human rights for ethnic minorities in China in all aspects. In 2013, the central government arranged 46.4 billion yuan ($7.58 billion) in transfer payments to ethnic minority areas, an increase of 10.5 percent over 2012. On average, the GDPs of the Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia, and Xinjiang autonomous regions and Guizhou, Yunnan, and Qinghai provinces, which all have large numbers of ethnic minority inhabitants, grew by 10.4 percent, faster than the national average. The State continues to strengthen poverty reduction efforts in areas inhabited mainly by ethnic minorities. In 2013 alone, the central government allocated 16.61 billion yuan in poverty-reduction funds to the above-mentioned eight provinces and autonomous regions, comprising 43.76 percent of the total volume of funds received for this purpose from all sources, representing a 16.8 percent increase over 2012. The rate of poverty reduction in these eight provinces and autonomous regions reached 17.9 percent, surpassing the national average during the same period.

5. The system to protect the rights of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled has been further improved. China has further fulfilled the basic national policy of equality between men and women and the principle of giving priority to children's welfare and enhanced protection for the rights of women and children. The country has modified laws such as the Law on the Protection of Minors, the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, and the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly. Moreover, it plans to formulate and enact the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, the draft of which has been published to solicit public opinions. In the meantime, China has taken action to crack down on trafficking in women and children. Public services for disabled people have been further improved. The Chinese government has helped improve access to services for 280,000 poverty-stricken families with one or more disabled members, and more than 15 million disabled people have been rehabilitated to various degrees, fulfilling the country's final target of 13 million set in the Action Plan well ahead of the deadline.

6. Remarkable achievements have been realized in human rights education, training and research. China has made efforts to raise public awareness and spread knowledge of human rights. The popularity and professionalization of human rights education has been continuously improved. Adhering to the principle of combining human rights education with legal rights education, China has integrated human rights education and the spread of governance through law with the promotion of laws, school education, and specialized education, thus greatly enhancing awareness of human rights throughout society. China is also focusing on strengthening human rights education and law-related education for officials and public servants. The state is encouraging colleges and universities to establish new academic disciplines and departments related to human rights education and training. The country has built five new national human rights education and training bases, fulfilling the tasks set forth in the Action Plan ahead of schedule. Also, China has conducted rigorous academic research on human rights. Notable achievements have been made in research on socialist human rights theories with Chinese characteristics.