Push for new developments in China's human rights

1. We must continue to follow the leadership of the Communist Party of China to ensure that human rights in China develop along the right track. The CPC is the leader of and the advocate for the cause of human rights in China. The CPC's leadership in this area is unique to China, and it is a huge political advantage in the development of socialist human rights with Chinese characteristics. It has been proven that only by sticking with the leadership of the CPC can the country's approach to human rights develop on the right track and penetrate into all aspects of the work of the Party and the government.

2. We must continue to combine the universal principles of human rights with an awareness of China's current conditions in order to guarantee people's rights to subsistence and higher-level development. Full enjoyment of human rights has long been an ideal cherished by all mankind, but there is no universally applicable method or path of human rights development. A country's basic national conditions determine which road it takes to develop its approach to human rights. It has been proven that giving top priority not only to people's rights to subsistence and development but also to ensuring that those rights steadily improve in step with the country's conditions is fundamental to China's human rights development. This is a prerequisite and foundation for safeguarding and promoting other human rights in addition to being the greatest aspiration of the Chinese people.

3. We must adhere to governing the State through law to ensure that the cause of human rights develops along the road toward rule of law and institutionalization. Rule of law is the key to safeguarding and promoting human rights. China attaches great importance to safeguarding human rights through the rule of law in order to accelerate the development of the cause of human rights. China has formulated and improved a series of laws, regulations and rules governing various aspects such as legislation, administration and judicature to form a complete legal system supporting human rights with Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, China has incorporated legal education on human rights into legislation, law enforcement and judicial practice so as to spread knowledge about laws on human rights, punish those who infringe human rights and enhance public awareness about the rule of law and its relationship to human rights.

4. We must continue to stress key points while advancing all-round development to facilitate the coordination of human rights' development with other undertakings. In the course of the development of its human rights, China has paid special attention to combining long-term planning and short-term objectives, pragmatically and responsibly setting tasks appropriate to different stages of development and completing those tasks step by step in a well-planned way. Currently, we view economic and social rights as key aspects of human rights protection, and we have consequently focused on addressing issues concerning the livelihoods and vital interests of the people. Meanwhile, with the understanding that different types of human rights are interdependent and inseparable, we have simultaneously pushed forward the development of human rights and economic, political, cultural and social development so as to lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of human rights.