Experts shed light on China's human rights progress

Chinese human rights experts gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday to discuss the progress China has made with human rights protection amid lingering terrorist threats and the sudden novel coronavirus outbreak.

The conference, a sideline event at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, invited five scholars to share their observations and experience on China's human rights development, including system construction, the fight against terrorism, research in ethnic group language and culture, as well as measures taken to control the virus outbreak.

Lu Zhian, executive deputy director at the Research Center for Human Rights, Fudan University, said China has successfully created a way of human rights development that is based on its national conditions.

"Ensuring social equity, justice and people's rights is a significant strength of China's national system and governance system," he said.

He pointed out that, all efforts to adhere to and improve all systems of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to modernize China's governance system and capacity for governance, therefore serve to uphold and improve all systems for safeguarding human rights.

Zheng Liang, a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication of the Guangzhou-based Jinan University, stressed the importance for the international community to unite and fight against terrorism together with China.

He highlighted that the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a terrorist and separatist organization, takes China as its main target, but is actually harming the interests of the entire international community.

"Some countries are indifferent to its harm, and sometimes even use double standards to judge the Chinese government's actions against terrorism," he noted, "This does not help international counter-terrorism cooperation."

Two scholars from Xinjiang shared their personal experience of Uygur culture.

Mahemuti Abuduwaili, a Uygur historian from the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, shared his personal story of growing up in a remote town in the province and then later gaining a doctorate degree.

"The national policy of supporting ethnic group talent has changed the fate for thousands of Uygurs like me. I have witnessed and experienced the historic changes that have taken place in Xinjiang since the start of the reform and opening up, which also benefit me and helped me become a professional," he told the audience.

Liu Zhengjiang, director of the Chinese Language Institute at Xinjiang University, and a Uygur language professor, shared how his experience of learning the Uygur language helped him develop a deeper understanding of the ethnic group's culture.

"I sincerely invite experts here to come to China, to Xinjiang. You could experience the development of China, the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang, the development of Chinese Uygur language education and the harmonious coexistence of all ethnic groups in China," he said.

Xu Yao, a researcher at the Human Rights Research Center at Nankai University, talked on how China protects human rights in the process of prevention and control of the novel coronavirus.

Xu said the decisive lockdown of the outbreak epicenter, fast completion of new specialized hospitals and transparency in sharing information with international organizations are good examples of protection, not only for Chinese people but for people all over the world.