Correct path set to advance global human rights

China has provided direction on advancing human rights with its action on poverty elimination, Guo Weimin, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, said on Wednesday.

It also pursues a people-centered development philosophy, Guo said at the Vision China event broadcast online to a global audience. "While trying to reduce poverty, China puts people first and foremost, upholding social fairness and justice, and promoting people's overall development," Guo said.

He said that from its birth, the Communist Party of China had made it its mission to seek happiness for the people and pursue development for mankind.

Over the decades, China has explored the development of human rights with "Chinese characteristics", which features "eliminating poverty through promoting development and enhancing human rights through poverty relief", Guo said.

"This way, China has not only accelerated the process of international poverty eradication, but also provided an example for improving global human rights governance," he said. "China will remain committed to strengthening efforts in global poverty reduction, improving the well-being of mankind and making every effort to make global human rights governance more fair and just."

Guo said China has been a champion, promoter and contributor in global poverty elimination and stressed it had shouldered its responsibility as a major country on global poverty reduction, actively participated in international cooperation and contributed "wisdom and solutions" to global poverty eradication efforts.

He cited a World Bank report that said the Belt and Road Initiative will help 7.6 million people from participating countries and regions shake off extreme poverty, and 32 million others get out of moderate poverty.

"China stands ready to work with the international community to stay committed to the great cause of poverty elimination and make joint efforts to build a better world that enjoys common prosperity," he said.

Saying China upholds a philosophy of globalization that is "open, inclusive and balanced, with benefits shared by all", Guo said the country remains committed to global poverty elimination and wants to advance a new structure for international cooperation on the issue.

"By establishing the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, an assistance fund for South-South cooperation, and conducting poverty-relief training, the country has boosted momentum for global poverty reduction efforts, creating more opportunities and better conditions for developing countries to break bottlenecks in development and tap the potential for shaking off poverty," he said.

China's efforts in global poverty reduction meet the common aspirations of people around the world, and demonstrate the country's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

While the COVID-19 pandemic poses grave challenges to global poverty reduction efforts, rising protectionism, unilateralism and populism have cast shadows on achieving the goals of global poverty reduction and development, Guo said. He called for solidarity and mutual assistance to prevail over the challenges the world is facing.

China will work with the rest of the world to push forward with global poverty reduction and uphold multilateralism and the international system with the UN at the core, Guo said.