Speech at the Symposium on Study and Implementation of the Spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress at the China Society for Human Rights Studies
Qiangba Puncog*
Following the successful conclusion of the 19th Communist Party of China Na- tional Congress, there has been a nationwide upsurge in the study and implementation of the spirit of the Congress. It was therefore both necessary and timely for the China Society for Human Rights Studies to organize a symposium on the study and imple- mentation of the spirit of the Congress. I’d like to express my understanding of the study and implementation of the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress from three aspects:
Ⅰ. We Should Consciously Unify Our Thought and Action with the Spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was a meeting of great importance which took place not only during the decisive stage in building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects but as at a critical moment when social- ism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The Congress established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guid- ing thought of the Party and made a series of significant political judgments including one that states socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era and the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved to be the contradiction be- tween unbalanced and inadequate development and people’s ever-growing needs for better lives. The Congress marked an epochal milestone in the development history of the Party and the country.
In the report delivered to the Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping recalled and summarized the glorious achievements and valuable experience of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics made by the Party and all ethnic groups throughout the country under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee in the past five years. The report also put forward proposals for securing a decisive vic- tory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. With great vision and pro- found connotations, the report holds high the banner, provides guidance, seeks truth from facts, keeps pace with the times, enhances cohesion and inspires the people. It emphasized that the original intention and mission of the Party, which is to seek the happiness of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation. It is the overall program, deployment and mobilization of the Party to unite the wisdom of the whole Party, comply with the expectations of the people, guide socialism with Chinese characteris- tics into a new era and open a new chapter. It is the solemn commitment of the Party to the people.
In the report delivered to the Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping recalled and summarized the glorious achievements and valuable experience of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics made by the Party and all ethnic groups throughout the country under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee in the past five years. The report also put forward proposals for securing a decisive vic- tory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. With great vision and pro- found connotations, the report holds high the banner, provides guidance, seeks truth from facts, keeps pace with the times, enhances cohesion and inspires the people. It emphasized that the original intention and mission of the Party, which is to seek the happiness of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation. It is the overall program, deployment and mobilization of the Party to unite the wisdom of the whole Party, comply with the expectations of the people, guide socialism with Chinese characteris- tics into a new era and open a new chapter. It is the solemn commitment of the Party to the people.
We firmly believe that China is certain to realize its great national rejuvenation, in which the rights and interests of the Chinese people are certain to be better guar- anteed, and China is certain to make new and greater contributions to the progress of human civilization under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the development blueprint laid out during the 19th CPC National Congress. The China Society for Human Rights Studies should earnestly study and implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and unify its thought and action with the spirit of the Congress to constantly open up new prospects for its work.
Ⅱ. We Should Thoroughly Understand the Vital Significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to Human Rights
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era further enriches the Chinese concepts of human rights. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era upholds the people-centered philosophy of development, with the aim of promoting well-rounded human devel- opment and common prosperity for everyone. It adopts a new vision for development that addresses development’s imbalances and inadequacies and makes the country bet- ter placed to meet the ever-growing economic, political, cultural, social and ecological needs of the people. It also requires the people to improve our democratic institutions, diversify our forms of democracy and establish more democratic channels to put the principle of the people running the country into practice in China’s political and social activities. Additionally, it requires that every dimension of governance is law-based and strengthens legal protection for human rights, protects people’s personal rights, property rights and right to dignity, and ensures that the people enjoy extensive rights and freedoms as prescribed by law. It ensures and improves living standards through development to guarantee people always have a strong sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, and ensures harmony between humans and nature, continuing the Beau- tiful China initiative to create good working and living environments for our people. The above important expositions of General Secertary Xi Jinping on upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics further enriches the Chinese con- cepts and ideas of human rights, and it becomes the basic principle for the path to de- velop human rights and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era shows the way for the development of the cause of human rights in China. On the basis of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and achiev- ing the first centenary goal, the 19th CPC National Congress drew up a magnificent blueprint for realizing the second centenary goal with a two-stage development plan, which points out the objective and direction for the development of the cause of hu- man rights in China. According to the Party’s design, socialist modernization will have been basically realized by 2035 in the first stage. From the perspective of human rights, the following goals will have been met: The rights of people to participate and to develop as equals will be adequately protected; people will lead more comfortable lives, and the size of the nation’s middle-income group will have grown considerably; disparities in urban-rural development, in development between regions, and in living standards will be significantly reduced; equitable access to basic public services will basically be ensured; there will be a fundamental improvement in the environment; and human rights protection in China will increase significantly. In the second stage to 2050, we will develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful. New heights are to be reached in every dimension of material, political, cultural, ethical, social and ecological advancement. Common prosperity for everyone will be basically achieved; Chinese people enjoy happier, safer and healthier lives, and human rights protection in China will reach a leading position globally.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era shows the way for the development of the cause of human rights in China. On the basis of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and achiev- ing the first centenary goal, the 19th CPC National Congress drew up a magnificent blueprint for realizing the second centenary goal with a two-stage development plan, which points out the objective and direction for the development of the cause of hu- man rights in China. According to the Party’s design, socialist modernization will have been basically realized by 2035 in the first stage. From the perspective of human rights, the following goals will have been met: The rights of people to participate and to develop as equals will be adequately protected; people will lead more comfortable lives, and the size of the nation’s middle-income group will have grown considerably; disparities in urban-rural development, in development between regions, and in living standards will be significantly reduced; equitable access to basic public services will basically be ensured; there will be a fundamental improvement in the environment; and human rights protection in China will increase significantly. In the second stage to 2050, we will develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful. New heights are to be reached in every dimension of material, political, cultural, ethical, social and ecological advancement. Common prosperity for everyone will be basically achieved; Chinese people enjoy happier, safer and healthier lives, and human rights protection in China will reach a leading position globally.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach for promoting the develop- ment of the cause of human rights worldwide. In the world today, development of human society and protection of human rights are facing severe challenges. Regional wars and conflicts occur from time to time, the atrocities of extremism and terrorism are intensifying, anti-globalization sentiment results in the dregs of nationalism and populism resurfacing, the problem of unbalanced, inharmonious and unsustainable development is still prominent and the negative impacts of the refugee crisis and climate change continue to spread. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era accurately grasps the future and destiny of mankind and the development trends of the times, keeps in mind both our internal and international imperatives and proposes promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. Xi Jinping thought related to build- ing a community of shared future for humanity points out the direction for coping with current global challenges and offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to promoting global human rights governance.
Ⅲ. We Should Implement the Spirit of the 19th CPC National Con- gress in the Publicity and Research into Human Rights in the New Era
First, we should always maintain a high degree of consistency with the Cen- tral Committee of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. In publicizing and researching human rights, we should further enhance the consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, uphold the leadership core, maintain alignment, resolutely safeguard the Party’s central authority and cen- tralized and unified leadership and remain highly consistent with the the Central Com- mittee of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core in terms of ideology, politics and action. We should more consciously learn, guide practices and promote work with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and constantly strengthen our confidence in terms of our path, guiding theories, political system and culture.
Second, we should consciously take the initiative in the study and publicity of human rights under Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Charac- teristics for a New Era. It is the primary political task of the entire Party at present and in the future to study and implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC. All comrades of the China Society for Human Rights Studies should take the lead in studying, reflecting on and implementing the ideological essence and core meaning of the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Party. Special attention should be paid to extracting the human rights connotations of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We should excel in our illustra- tion and explanation of it with affable and warm language that is easy to understand. Meanwhile, we should actively introduce it to Party members and the general public in our work and life to increase the influence of China’s concept of human rights.
Third, we should constantly enrich and develop the theory and discourse system of human rights with Chinese characteristics. The new era breeds new thoughts which are catalysts for new theories. The China Society for Human Rights Studies should fully mobilize all professionals of human rights research to strengthen confidence in human rights, consciously use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to guide research into human rights theories and carry out relevant work with the mission and responsibility that time and tide wait for no man, while also maintaining a scientific and rigorous work style. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and based on the human rights practices of China, we should strive to refine new concepts, domains and expression of international influence to further improve the in- ternational influence of China’s human rights discourse.
In conclusion, socialism with Chinese characteristics is entering a new era and the cause of human rights protection in China is embarking on a new journey. We firmly believe that the development path of the cause of human rights with Chinese characteristics will be broader and its prospects will be brighter under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Let’s rally closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core and together welcome a new spring in the great development of the cause of human rights in China.
(Translated by HU Liang)
Third, we should constantly enrich and develop the theory and discourse system of human rights with Chinese characteristics. The new era breeds new thoughts which are catalysts for new theories. The China Society for Human Rights Studies should fully mobilize all professionals of human rights research to strengthen confidence in human rights, consciously use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to guide research into human rights theories and carry out relevant work with the mission and responsibility that time and tide wait for no man, while also maintaining a scientific and rigorous work style. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and based on the human rights practices of China, we should strive to refine new concepts, domains and expression of international influence to further improve the in- ternational influence of China’s human rights discourse.
In conclusion, socialism with Chinese characteristics is entering a new era and the cause of human rights protection in China is embarking on a new journey. We firmly believe that the development path of the cause of human rights with Chinese characteristics will be broader and its prospects will be brighter under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Let’s rally closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core and together welcome a new spring in the great development of the cause of human rights in China.
(Translated by HU Liang)
