China has always respected the principles of the Charter of the United Nations
related to the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
China also has been actively participating in international activities in the
human rights area and has been trying to promote the sound development of
international human rights.
China respects and accepts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
Proclamation of Teheran and the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, and
gives positive assessment of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
China has signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.
Since its lawful seat in the United Nations was resumed in 1971, China has sent
delegations to attend every session of the UN Economic and Social Council and
the UN General Assembly.
China was elected a member of the UN Human Rights Commission in 1981 and has
been a member ever since. It has sent delegations to the Human Rights
Commission's regular sessions each year since 1981.
Since 1984, human rights experts recommended by China to the Human Rights
Commission continually have been elected members of the Sub-Commission on the
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Each year China sent
a delegation to attend the annual session of the sub-commission as observers.
China has been earnestly performing its duties in United Nations agencies and
their sessions, taking an active part in discussing and examining human rights
issues and expounding its views.
China has made its due contributions to enriching the concept of human rights
and encouraging the universal respect of human rights in the world.
China attended the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in 1993 and
the preparatory work of the conference. During the Asian Regional Preparatory
Meeting, China made an active effort to reach agreement on the Bangkok
Declaration, together with other Asian countries.
During the World Conference on Human Rights, China expounded its position and
views, and helped achieve the smooth adoption of the Vienna Declaration and
Program of Action.
In September of 1995, China successfully held the UN Forth World Conference on
Women. UN Under-Secretary General Kitani said that the conference, which laid
the foundation for a new era of relations between China and the United Nations,
was a milestone in UN women's history.
China has taken an active part in drafting and formulating international legal
instruments on human rights within the UN, such as the Declaration on the Right
to Development.
In addition, it has sent delegations to participate in working groups charged
with drafting the instruments, and has extended its efforts in the instruments
which include the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, the International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their
Families, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment, the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of
Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally
Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Declaration on the
Protection of Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and
Linguistic Minorities.
To date, China has ratified and acceded to 17 international human rights
conventions, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide, the International Convention on the Suppression and
Punishment of the Crimes of Apartheid, the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention Relating to
the Status of Refugees, the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of Children, the Convention Concerning
Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value, the four
Geneva Conventions of Aug. 12, 1949, and their two additional protocols.
The Chinese government has earnestly performed its obligations prescribed in the
conventions it has acceded to, and strictly implemented the stipulations of the
conventions through legislative, judicial and administrative measures.
In addition, the Chinese government actively cooperates with the United Nations.
In 1994, it invited the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Religious
Intolerance to visit China, and in 1996 and 1997, it invited the chairman of the
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to visit China, in a bid to increase
mutual understanding, which demonstrates China's sincerity in cooperating with
the United Nations.
China has actively promoted cooperation and opposed confrontation in the field
of human rights, and has made unremitting efforts to advance the sound
development of activities in the domain of international human rights.
China has over the years supported struggles of developing countries in
safeguarding their own rights and interests at UN human rights organizations.
China resolutely opposes Western Countries politicizing the human rights issue,
interfering in internal affairs of developing countries under the pretext of
human rights and sabotaging international cooperation in the human rights area.
Since 1990, a few Western countries led by the United States have proposed an
anti-China draft resolution seven times at the UN conferences on human rights,
in an attempt to wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs, disrupt its
stability and contain China from developing under the pretext of human rights,
and change its road of development and its social system.
With support from other developing countries and justice-upholding countries,
China has foiled seven times in a row the anti-China plot of the Western
countries, thus safeguarding the purpose and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations.
For years, Chinese leaders have held extensive discussions on the human rights
issue with foreign heads of state, heads of government and other personnel, in
an effort to enhance understanding and cooperation between China and other
countries in the human rights area.
China also has held many rounds of dialogue on human rights with the European
Union and Western countries, and invited foreign experts and officials of human
rights to visit China.
Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as China Society for Human
Rights Studies visited some European countries at their invitation. Their visits
achieved positive results as they exchanged views on the human rights issue with
government and parliamentary officials and NGO leaders.