VII. Adding Diversity to the Concept of Human Rights
For China, there are no ready models to copy in respecting, protecting and developing human rights. China must proceed from its prevailing realities and go its own way. Applying the principle of universality of human rights to China’s national conditions, the CPC has opened a new path of human rights protection, and added diversity to the concept of human rights with its own practices.
– Upholding CPC leadership and the socialist system in promoting human rights. We would not have socialism in China without the leadership of the CPC, nor could we protect the fundamental interests of the people without socialism as the basic system. The people as the masters of the country is the basic political principle of the CPC on human rights, realized by democracy, freedom, equality and other rights, which are also important core socialist values. By developing and protecting human rights, the CPC can strengthen its leadership and better develop socialism for long-term peace, stability, and prosperity.
– Promoting human rights through development. Development is the key to solving all China's problems; it drives human rights progress in the country. Based on its prevailing realities, the CPC considers the rights to subsistence and development to be the primary rights; this is the secret of China’s progress in human rights. The right to subsistence comes before any other right, and the right to development is closely connected to the right to subsistence. The CPC believes that putting subsistence and development first and subsequently developing other rights is the only way to meet the people’s expectation that their rights will be protected.
– Taking a people-centered approach to human rights. The CPC comes from the people and has its roots in the people. It serves the people and seeks to improve their wellbeing. Putting people first and ensuring their principal status have always been the core of the CPC’s view on human rights. In his letter to the seminar on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Xi Jinping proposed that living a happy life is the primary human right, giving new meaning to China’s progress in human rights in the new era. His thought on human rights highlights the position of the people and the essentials of human rights development in China. There is no end to human rights development and human rights protection is an ongoing cause. Human rights in China should be judged only by the Chinese people, and gauged by their sense of gain, happiness and security.
– Aiming for people's well-rounded development. Well-rounded development is a goal of the people in their pursuit of a strong, modern socialist country under the CPC leadership, and the ultimate goal of the cause of human rights in China. According to classical Marxist writers, the free development of each individual is the precondition for the free development of all people. Well-rounded development means all-round development for all people, including development of character, ability, knowledge, and rights. The CPC’s drive to advance human rights in the context of building Chinese socialism is designed to lay down the foundations for the free and well-rounded development of the people. The Party attaches equal attention to collective rights and individual rights; to the primary position of the rights to subsistence and development and to the coordinated development of civil rights, political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights; to the coordination of the economy, society, resources, and environmental protection, and to sustainable development for people’s wellbeing now and in future.
– Building a global community of shared future. Confronted by a scale of change unseen in a century, President Xi Jinping has proposed to build a global community of shared future that puts people first and prioritize people's development. In response to the global call for peace, development, cooperation, and common progress, the proposal emphasizes inclusiveness, cooperation, openness, and sharing of benefits. It is intended to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. It is in line with humanity’s aspiration for progress and contributes to the global advancement of human rights. The concept has been included in UN documents and has become an influential concept with a significant impact on today's world.
