Human rights foundation elects new chairman

The China Foundation for Human Rights Development will more actively engage in human rights advocacy, promoting China's human rights development story internationally, its new leadership said on Wednesday.

The CFHRD will participate widely in international human rights exchanges and cooperation to introduce the international community to China's human rights concepts, beliefs and practical experiences, it vowed as a new council was elected at a meeting in Beijing.

Xie Fuzhan, former president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was elected chairman of the council and Zhou Shuchun, former editor-in-chief of China Daily, was elected executive vice-chairman.

The CFHRD will use innovative means to carry out human rights promotion and educational training, effectively conveying China's human rights achievements, Xie said after being elected chairman.

The foundation will organize and implement more charity projects, using practical actions to drive human rights development and progress in China, he said.

Xie encouraged newly appointed council members, supervisors and others to leverage their strengths in advancing human rights.

The meeting also reviewed and passed a work report from the previous council, a financial audit report, and a five-year development outline for the foundation from 2024 to 2028.

The outline highlighted CFHRD's intention to actively engage in multilateral human rights exchanges through participation in United Nations initiatives, including the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Additionally, it aims to strengthen relations with foreign organizations it has long cooperated with, further enhancing the effectiveness of international exchanges. It will explore new avenues of cooperation and create a high-end platform for international human rights exchange and collaboration.

Leveraging its unique characteristics and strengths, the CFHRD will robustly counter attacks and defamation from anti-China forces and thwart the schemes of some Western countries aimed at using human rights to suppress China.

The outline emphasizes key areas for the CFHRD to promote public welfare projects in human rights. They will explore international public welfare projects, with a special emphasis on countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and developing nations, to implement livelihood-oriented projects as a means to promote China's human rights concepts, beliefs and practical experiences.