China’s respect, protection of human rights becoming refreshing addition to global cause

China has opened a new path of human rights development that conforms to the times and suits its national conditions, according to a report on China's human rights development released on Monday.

Jointly released by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and the New China Research under Xinhua News Agency, the report, titled "For a Life of Contentment -- The Rationale for China's Human Rights Development", said that China’s novel ideas, measures and practices in terms of how to respect and protect human rights are a refreshing addition to the global human rights cause and the diversity of civilizations.

China’s explorations and experiences in promoting human rights development, featuring determined leadership, down-to-earth and development-oriented approach, legal guidance, and open-mindedness, are of great value for reference, noted the report.

-- Determined Leadership. The strong leadership of the CPC has provided clear strategic guidance for China's human rights cause, fostered efficient synergy capabilities, and unleashed the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people in a continuous manner. China has turned the abstract concept of human rights into a set of tangible rights and interests that the people could enjoy on the ground, such as the rights to subsistence, development, life and health. This has made human rights more concrete and appreciable, marking a major advancement of the human rights cause.

-- Down-to-Earth Approach. There are no two identical leaves in the world. Likewise, there is no single fixed model for the development of the human rights cause. China's experience suggests that a path that is based on the realities of the country itself and befits its own conditions is the only one that can work well, and win the support of its people. Countries vary significantly in national conditions, thus they ought to choose paths that conform to their circumstances and befit themselves. Paths imposed by others usually lead to nowhere, whereas blind imitation often backfires.

-- Development-Oriented. Human rights protection would not be possible without certain material prerequisites. Development is the pathway to people's well-being, and the driver for the advancement of the human rights cause. The Chinese government has always prioritized development, and kept expanding the economic pie to ensure a solid material foundation for human rights protection. To meet people's aspirations for a quality life, the government has pursued a development path that is of higher-quality, more efficient, equitable, sustainable and secure to keep up with the people's ever-growing needs for multifaceted rights, and facilitate all-round progress of each human right.

-- Legal Guidance. China has implemented a strategy to comprehensively advance the rule of law. It strives to build a system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics to pursue coordinated progress in law-based governance, law-based exercise of state power and law-based government administration, and promote integrated development of the country, the government, and society based on the rule of law, so that the citizens' rights and interests are firmly ensured.

-- Open-Mindedness. China respects the diversity in the approaches to human rights development and holds that there is no such thing as a perfect "Utopia" for human rights. It opposes double standards in human rights, rejects attempts to politicize and weaponize human rights, and objects to interventions in others' internal affairs in the name of human rights. China advocates enhanced exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, addressing the "governance deficit" of human rights, promoting fairer, more equitable, reasonable and inclusive global governance of human rights, and working together to build a human community with a shared future.