Experts share ideas on advancing human rights

China will further upgrade its human rights theories and practices, actively participate in global human rights affairs, and strengthen its voice on the international stage, experts said at a symposium on Friday.

The event, organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, focused on studying and implementing the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The session came at a crucial juncture as the nation transitions from the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the session, call for promoting the all-around advancement of human rights, providing clear guidance for future efforts, said Padma Choling, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies.

"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must uphold the principle that the ultimate human right is for people to lead a happy life. We must ensure and improve people's well-being through development and make sure the gains of modernization benefit all fairly," Padma Choling said.

He added that China should enhance dialogue and cooperation on human rights with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global South to build broader consensus. China should also deepen engagement in multilateral institutions, taking a more proactive role in agenda-setting and rule-making, he said.

More than 170 participants from various sectors attended the meeting to share practices and insights on advancing human rights in different areas.

Strengthening legal protections requires regulating criminal law enforcement and judicial practices through a policy that balances leniency and severity. "We must rigorously verify facts and evidence, adhere to evidence-based judgments, and uphold the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'," said Li Xiao, former first-level inspector of the research office of the Supreme People's Court.

"While ensuring farmers enjoy dignified living conditions, we should also make sure they have opportunities to develop and to share in the benefits of development," said Ding Yadong, deputy secretary-general of the China Foundation for Rural Development. To protect farmers' rights to subsistence and development while advancing rural vitalization, the foundation has launched programs to expand access to agricultural machinery and provide skills training in rural areas.

Media institutions should work to enhance China's influence in the global human rights discourse. "Biased and distorted reports by some Western media still dominate the global narrative on China's human rights issues although supporting voices from the Global South countries have been continuously increasing for the country's human rights achievements," said Xing Zhigang, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily. He stressed the need to take the initiative to set international human rights agendas and deconstruct the Western human rights narratives that are hypocritical and have double standards.

In the field of digital intelligence technologies, experts stressed the need to incorporate human rights ethics and legal values into digital governance. "By refining human rights standards, such as information rights, and embedding the concept of dignity into technology design and governance, we can ensure that technology serves the greater good," said Qi Yanping, director of the center for science and technology human rights at Beijing Institute of Technology.