Director of the State Council Information Office: 1.3 billion China people have dominated their own destiny.
Wang Chen, Director of the State Council Information Office, delivered a speech at the symposium on "30 Years of Reform and Opening-up and Human Rights Development in China"
In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, the China Society for Human Rights Studies held an academic seminar on "Thirty Years of China’s Reform and Opening-up and Human Rights Development" here, summing up the experience of China’s human rights development since the reform and opening-up, and exploring how to promote the all-round development of human rights in the new situation. All of you here are experts in the field of human rights. Over the years, you have actively introduced the development and progress of human rights in China, explained the principled position of our government on human rights issues, and made efforts and contributions to promoting the development of theoretical research on human rights in China. On behalf of the Foreign Publicity Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Press Office of the State Council, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the directors, experts and scholars of the Human Rights Research Association who attended the meeting and warm congratulations on the convening of the seminar.
Dear President Luo Haocai,
Comrades:
In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, the China Society for Human Rights Studies held an academic seminar on "Thirty Years of China’s Reform and Opening-up and Human Rights Development" here, summing up the experience of China’s human rights development since the reform and opening-up, and exploring how to promote the all-round development of human rights in the new situation. All of you here are experts in the field of human rights. Over the years, you have actively introduced the development and progress of human rights in China, explained the principled position of our government on human rights issues, and made efforts and contributions to promoting the development of theoretical research on human rights in China. On behalf of the Foreign Publicity Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Press Office of the State Council, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the directors, experts and scholars of the Human Rights Research Association who attended the meeting and warm congratulations on the convening of the seminar.
Below, I would like to make some comments on the development and publicity of human rights since the reform and opening up:
1. China has made historic progress in the cause of human rights since the reform and opening up.
Realizing full human rights is an important goal of China’s revolution, construction and reform. Since the founding of New China, China’s human rights cause has gone through nearly 60 years of development. Sixty years is only a short moment in the long river of human history, but the people of China have made a great historic leap in the development of human rights in the past 60 years. Although there have been some twists and turns in the process of safeguarding and promoting human rights, there are still some shortcomings in the development of our human rights cause. However, it is an indisputable basic fact that after more than half a century of unremitting efforts, an old China, which is poor, weak and humiliated, has become an independent, prosperous and civilized new China. 1.3 billion people in China have dominated their own destiny, bid farewell to the state of hunger, cold and ignorance, and embarked on a well-off life with plenty of food and clothing. Especially in the past 30 years of reform and opening up, the governments of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and China have persisted in taking economic construction as the center, promoted all-round social development, combined the universality of human rights with China’s specific national conditions, made unremitting efforts in promoting and protecting human rights, achieved a historic leap and made historic progress.
First, it has established the important position of respecting and safeguarding human rights in the concept of governing the country by the party and the government. Thirty years ago, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held. Since then, China has carried out reform and opening up, shifted its focus to economic construction, and created a new situation in Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s modernization. The magnificent course of reform and opening-up has broken through the "Left" ideological bondage that regards human rights as a bourgeois slogan, established the important position of human rights concept in China’s social and political life, and embarked on a road of human rights development with China characteristics. Especially since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary has put forward a major strategic thought of "people-oriented Scientific Outlook on Development" and building a harmonious socialist society, in which respecting and safeguarding human rights is an important content. Since 2004, "respecting and protecting human rights" has been successively included in the Constitution, the outline of the 11th Five-Year Development Plan and the Constitution of the Communist Party of China, which has become an important principle for the Party and the government to govern the country.
Second, the people’s rights to subsistence and development have been guaranteed as never before. Over the past 30 years of reform and opening up, China’s economy and society have developed by leaps and bounds, and the living standards of 1.3 billion China people have been greatly improved, achieving two historic leaps from poverty to food and clothing and from food and clothing to a well-off society. The people’s quality of life has improved significantly, and the Engel coefficient of urban and rural residents has decreased by 20.3 and 24.6 percentage points respectively. The poverty-stricken population has decreased by more than 230 million. The average life expectancy has increased by 5 years, reaching the level of moderately developed countries.
Third, civil and political rights have been effectively guaranteed. Since the reform and opening up, China has been ruling the country according to law and building a country ruled by law, and the construction of democratic politics has been continuously strengthened. The individual rights and political rights of citizens have been continuously expanded and effectively guaranteed on the track of democracy and legal system. A socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution as the core has basically taken shape, and citizens’ rights have been strongly guaranteed by law. At the same time, China actively and steadily promoted the reform of political system, continuously expanded citizens’ orderly political participation, strengthened the openness of government affairs, and strengthened the supervision and restriction of power, thus effectively guaranteeing citizens’ democratic rights.
Fourth, economic, social and cultural rights have been continuously improved. Since the reform and opening up, the government of China has always insisted that development is for the people, development depends on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people. It has taken various measures to vigorously develop economic, social and cultural undertakings, and made great efforts to solve the most concerned, direct and realistic interests of the people such as employment, social security, education, culture and health, thus greatly improving the people’s economic, social and cultural rights.
In short, the 30 years of reform and opening-up have witnessed profound changes in China’s social outlook and the fastest development of human rights in China.
Second, human rights publicity is an important aspect of reform, opening up and modernization.
Doing a good job in publicizing human rights to the outside world is an important task related to the overall situation of the party and the country under the conditions of reform and opening up, and it is also an important work that the State Council Information Office has been striving to strengthen since its establishment. Western hostile forces have always regarded human rights as a strategic weapon to "westernize" and "divide" China, and constantly discredited China and vilified China’s international image under the pretext of human rights. Our struggle with western hostile forces in the field of human rights is related to national sovereignty, national dignity and international image, and to the overall situation of reform, development and stability.
Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we have done a lot of work and achieved great results in order to comprehensively introduce China’s human rights situation and opinions to the outside world, reflect the actual situation of human rights development and progress in China, and carry out tit-for-tat struggle with international hostile forces.
First, publish a white paper to clarify China’s human rights proposition and practice. On November 1, 1991, the State Council Information Office published China’s first white paper on human rights-The Human Rights Situation in China, which introduced the unremitting efforts and progress made by the China government and people to the international community for the first time, clarified China’s basic position and policy on human rights issues, and enhanced the international community’s understanding of the actual human rights situation in China. Since then, the State Council Information Office has successively published seven white papers introducing the general situation of human rights in China, and published more than 30 special white papers and dozens of important articles on issues closely related to human rights, such as democratic politics, the rule of law, ethnic religions, women and children, population and family planning, labor and social security, poverty alleviation, and criminal rehabilitation. These white papers and articles have comprehensively and systematically demonstrated the current situation of the development of human rights in China, expounded the basic views of the China government on human rights issues to the international community in a complete and authoritative manner, strongly refuted the distorted accusations of international hostile forces, and clarified some misunderstandings of human rights in China by some foreign countries.
Second, tit-for-tat, refuting China’s accusation in the State Council’s Country Human Rights Report. Since 1994, the State Council Information Office has published more than 10 weighty commentary articles in response to the distorted accusation of China in the State Council’s National Human Rights Report, citing facts to refute and clarify them, which has had a strong international response. From 2000 to 2008, the State Council Information Office published "Human Rights Record of the United States" every year, exposing the human rights misdeeds of the United States and its double standards on human rights issues with a large number of data and facts, which aroused widespread resonance in the world.
Thirdly, the development and progress of human rights in China should be vividly displayed in various forms. In November, 2006, the State Council Information Office and China Human Rights Research Association jointly held the "China Human Rights Exhibition" in Beijing. In 2007, the State Council Information Office held a photo exhibition entitled "Contemporary China Life in the Lens" in six countries with the theme of human rights. From August to September this year, in order to cooperate with the Olympic Games, the theme exhibition "China people’s life in the lens" was held in Beijing. Through pictures, objects, scene models, film and television exhibitions, electronic desk calendars, electronic white papers, network interaction, touch-screen questions and answers, live performances of folk arts and other forms, these exhibitions artistically reproduce the course of China people’s struggle for, protection and development of human rights, show the situation and progress of human rights construction in China from multiple levels and perspectives, and effectively enhance the understanding of human rights in China for domestic and foreign audiences.
Fourth, carry out universal education on human rights and raise the awareness of cadres and the masses on human rights issues. By organizing the compilation and publication of "A Reader of Human Rights Knowledge for Cadres" and incorporating it into the national series of teaching materials for cadres’ learning and training, holding training courses on cadres’ human rights knowledge, giving lectures on human rights knowledge in the central news media, opening a column for answering questions on human rights knowledge, holding a "human rights knowledge contest" and other forms, we have carried out extensive publicity and education activities on human rights knowledge, which have improved cadres’ and masses’ understanding of human rights issues and enhanced their consciousness of respecting and safeguarding human rights.
In a word, human rights publicity is an important aspect of the achievements of reform, opening up and modernization, and also an important aspect of the progress of human rights in China. Over the past 30 years of reform and opening up, human rights publicity has developed from scratch, which has made important contributions to showing China’s good image of respecting and safeguarding human rights and creating an objective and friendly public opinion environment for reform, opening up and modernization. The achievement of these achievements can not be separated from the strong support of academic and theoretical circles, and also embodies the efforts and contributions of experts and scholars present here. Here, on behalf of the State Council Information Office, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you.
Third, promote the cause of human rights and its external publicity in the spirit of reform and innovation
At present, the situation in the field of international human rights has undergone extensive and profound changes: on the one hand, the international community has paid unprecedented attention to human rights issues, and human rights, development and security have been established as one of the "three pillars" of the United Nations, becoming an increasingly prominent important factor in contemporary international relations and international politics; On the other hand, the essence of westernization and differentiation of western hostile forces by using human rights has not changed, and the pattern of international public opinion of "the west is strong and I am weak" has not fundamentally changed. My struggle with western hostile forces in the field of international human rights will be long-term, sharp and complicated. It is a long-term task for China to accelerate the reform and opening up and build a well-off society in an all-round way to comprehensively promote the development of human rights in China and continuously enhance the international community’s understanding of human rights in China. Starting from continuing to emancipate the mind, persist in reform and opening up, promote scientific development and promote social harmony, the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly put forward that "human rights should be respected and protected, and the rights of all members of society to participate and develop equally should be guaranteed according to law", which pointed out the direction and put forward requirements for comprehensively promoting the development of human rights and strengthening the publicity of human rights to the outside world under the new situation.
Facing the new situation and standing at a new starting point, we should focus on the needs of the international human rights struggle, promote the development of China’s human rights cause, expand the influence of China’s human rights viewpoint on the world, establish and maintain the national image, continuously deepen the theoretical research on human rights, intensify the publicity of China’s basic views and positions on human rights, carry out the public opinion struggle with reasonable advantages and restraint, participate in extensive and in-depth international human rights exchanges and cooperation, and strive to make human rights publicity work adapt to the development level and international status of China’s human rights cause.
First, formulate the National Human Rights Action Plan to promote the all-round development of human rights. The formulation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights is an important decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to coordinate the domestic and international situations, and it is also an important measure to implement the people-oriented Scientific Outlook on Development and the constitutional principle of "the state respects and guarantees human rights". This is the first time that the Government of China has formulated an action plan with the theme of human rights, which will make a comprehensive plan for the cause of human rights in China in the next two years. This plan covers a wide range of aspects related to human rights, such as improving government functions, expanding democracy, strengthening the rule of law, improving people’s livelihood, protecting the special rights of women, children and ethnic minorities, and raising the human rights awareness of the whole society. According to the unified arrangements of the central government, the the State Council Information Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are responsible for formulating this plan. At present, a joint meeting mechanism composed of relevant departments and units of nearly 50 countries has been established, and the formulation work is proceeding smoothly and orderly. It is believed that the promulgation and implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan will further improve the human rights situation in China, promote the progress of human rights in China, and provide a solid foundation for China’s human rights publicity.
Second, in connection with the reality of building a well-off society in an all-round way, actively publicize China’s human rights stance and views and the development and progress of the human rights cause. We should vigorously publicize the two leaps of China people’s life from poverty to food and clothing and then to a well-off society in the past 30 years of reform and opening up. China people’s rights to subsistence and development have been guaranteed as never before, laying a solid foundation for comprehensively safeguarding citizens’ political, economic, cultural and social rights. We should vigorously publicize that the development of human rights in China in the past depended on reform and opening up, and the future development of human rights in China must also adhere to reform and opening up. We should vigorously publicize the goal of building a well-off society at a higher level in an all-round way in the first two decades of this century, which will benefit more than one billion people, so as to make the economy more developed, the culture more prosperous, the society more harmonious and the people’s lives more prosperous, and bring broad prospects for the future development of human rights in China. It is necessary to vigorously publicize new policies to promote citizens’ economic, social and cultural rights, new measures to expand citizens’ democratic rights, new practices to strengthen human rights protection in the judiciary, and new situations in safeguarding the rights of ethnic minorities, women and children.
Third, actively respond to challenges and refute the distortions and attacks of anti-China forces on our human rights. At present, China’s comprehensive national strength and international status are improving day by day, and the international community is full of expectations and some doubts about China’s development. Some sincerely hope that China’s human rights cause can continue to make progress, while others try to use human rights issues to contain and constrain China’s development. On the one hand, we should refute the anti-China remarks that use human rights to attack China and attempt to block the development of China, and actively and effectively carry out the international public opinion struggle; On the other hand, we should conform to the world development trend and the trend of the times, further hold high the banner of human rights, seize the moral high ground, actively build an effective platform and position for human rights publicity abroad, carry out regular, systematic and lively publicity abroad, and strive to gain more initiative and exert greater influence in the field of human rights.
Fourth, continue to carry out international exchanges and dialogues in the field of human rights, expand its influence and win the hearts of the people. Since the reform and opening up, China has participated in human rights activities in the United Nations field with a more active attitude, participated in the formulation of United Nations human rights instruments and the work of human rights protection mechanisms, actively acceded to international human rights conventions, earnestly fulfilled its international obligations in the field of human rights, made full use of the international stage to show China’s image of respecting and safeguarding human rights, and expanded China’s international influence in the field of human rights. At the same time, China has conducted extensive exchanges and dialogues with all countries in the world through official and non-governmental levels, seeking common ground with the international community on human rights issues, enhancing mutual understanding and achieving positive results. We should conscientiously sum up successful experiences, continue to carry out various and fruitful dialogues and exchanges, raise the level of dialogue and exchanges, broaden channels of dialogue and exchanges, improve ways of dialogue and exchanges, enhance the effectiveness of dialogue, continuously enhance understanding, expand consensus and strive to win the hearts of the people.
Fifth, innovate the theory of human rights and enhance the international communication power of human rights publicity. Innovating human rights theory is the need to adapt to the development and change of international and domestic human rights situation, and it is also the inherent requirement of the practice of reform, opening up and modernization in the new period and new stage. We must deeply study and explain the party’s major policies and the human rights connotation of China’s development model, and be good at transforming the unique advantages and influence of China’s social development into the advantages of human rights development and human rights concept; We must deeply study and explain the connotation of human rights in China’s history and culture, as well as the theory and practice of human rights in the world, be good at absorbing the beneficial nutrients of traditional culture, learn from all the human rights thoughts and experiences of countries and the international community that embody the achievements of human civilization, and create a theoretical system of human rights with distinctive China characteristics and in line with the trend of world development and progress, so as to provide a discourse system with international communication power and strong theoretical support for human rights publicity. This is the need for the theory of human rights to keep pace with the times, and it is also a glorious and arduous task entrusted by the party and the state to the theoretical and academic circles. It is hoped that the China Society for Human Rights Studies will play a greater role in organizing and coordinating in this regard, and that all experts and scholars will enhance their sense of mission and responsibility, actively participate in the innovation of human rights theory, and make their own efforts and contributions to strive for China’s right to speak and lead in the international human rights field.
Finally, I wish the seminar a complete success!
Thank you all.
Editor: Wang Jiaolong