Officials say China makes great human rights achievements over 70 years

GENEVA -- China has made great achievements in human rights over the past 70 years, officials said here Monday during the opening ceremony of a human rights exhibition.

China's economy and society are growing more robust, Chen Xu, head of the Chinese mission to United Nations (UN) at Geneva, said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition titled "Pursuing Happiness for the People: 70 Years of Human Rights Progress in China" at the Palais des Nations.

The exhibition, jointly sponsored by China's State Council Information Office and the Permanent Mission of China to UN at Geneva, captures 70 years of happy moments in the country since the People's Republic of China was founded in October 1949.

"Food or clothing shortages no longer threaten the 1.3 billion Chinese, and more than 850 million Chinese are out of poverty, 770 million are employed," Chen said.

Also, nine-year compulsory education is provided across the country, and China's universal health care system and social security system lead the world in scale, he said.

"The secret to all of this lies in the way we promote human rights in China -- knowing our own realities, putting the people's interests above all else, and promoting human rights through development, the rule of law, and greater openness," he said.

Chen said that with remarkable transformations unseen in human history, the Chinese people are united under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, on the path of development with Chinese characteristics.

China is fully committed to multilateralism. It works for a community with a shared future for humanity, advocates dialogue and cooperation, and honors its international human rights obligations, Chen said.

China keeps in mind not only its own development but also the common progress of the world through win-win cooperation, he said.

"What China has accomplished in human rights is a great contribution to the international cooperation in this area," said Chen, adding that China stands ready to work with the international community to build a better world.

Lu Guangjin, director general of the Department of Human Rights of China's State Council Information Office, said at the ceremony that the well-being of the people did not stop at China's borders.

"Over the past 70 years, China advocated peace, development and cooperation in the international community," using cooperation as the way "to deliver development and thereby human rights progress," Lu said.

"It shares its wisdom and solutions for global human rights governance and makes hard efforts to promote this global cause and build a community with a shared future for humanity," he said.

Lu said that as China is moving forward, the Chinese people will enjoy more rights to a greater extent and realize all-around development at a higher level, and China's contribution to human rights development across the world and the diversity of human civilization will only increase.

Philippine Ambassador to UN at Geneva Evan P. Garcia, who also attended the ceremony, praised China for its achievements over the past 70 years.

"The People's Republic of China has demonstrated a tremendous achievement in lifting so many people out of poverty and in promoting development for the whole country," said Garcia.

"This is something that the whole world should recognize and learn from," Garcia said, adding "it's something that could not have happened without their commitment to peace."