— Summary of the Symposium on “Deeply Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and Adhering to the Chinese Path of Human Rights Development”

 

YANG Yinglong*

 

Abstract: On November 8, 2022, the symposium on “Deeply Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and Adhering to the Chinese Path of Human Rights Development” was held by the China Society for Human Rights Studies in Beijing. Focusing on “the leadership of the CPC and human rights development”, “adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times and human rights theories in contemporary China”, “the Chinese path to modernization and the new form of human rights civilization”, “Chinese human rights solutions and global human rights governance”, “making a better China’s story of advancing human rights and constructing human rights discourse system”, and other topics, the participants reached broad consensus after discussion, and the symposium achieved fruitful results.

 

Keywords: the 20th CPC National Congress · adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times · the Chinese path to modernization · the new form of human rights civilization

 

In order to study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), stay committed to the Chinese path of advancing human rights, participate in global human rights governance, and advance human rights in an all-round way, the China Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar on “Deeply Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and Adhering to the Chinese Path of Human Rights Development” in Beijing on November 8, 2022. Baima Chilin, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, and Jiang Jianguo, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), vice chairman of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Affairs, and executive vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, delivered speeches at the seminar. Nearly 100 participants, including vice presidents, executive directors, and directors of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, experts and scholars in the field of human rights research, and representatives of relevant departments attended the seminar online and offline. Centering on implementing the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, the participants discussed and reached broad consensus on topics such as “the leadership of the CPC and human rights development”, “adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times and human rights theories in contemporary China”, “the Chinese path to modernization and the new form of human rights civilization”, “Chinese human rights solutions and global human rights governance”, “making a better China’s story of advancing human rights and constructing human rights discourse system”.

 

 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC has consistently given key prominence to respecting and protecting human rights in state governance and has promoted China’s historic achievements in human rights endeavors. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stressed, “We will follow a Chinese path of human rights development, actively participate in global human rights governance, and promote all-around advancement of human rights.” This provides a guiding idea and a program of action for our work of advancing human rights. The participants unanimously expressed that studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and upholding the leadership of the CPC is of important theoretical and practical significance for the practice and exploration of the Chinese path of human rights development. 

 

 

Since its establishment, the CPC has upheld “fighting for democracy and human rights” and has taken a clear-cut stand of pulling the nation together and fighting for human rights. The CPC’s 100-year history records its efforts in leading the people in fighting for, respecting, protecting, and developing human rights. Baima Chilin said that the Communist Party of China is dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also dedicated to human progress and world harmony. He pointed out that the 20th CPC National Congress addressed the questions such as the type of human rights banner upheld by the CPC, the path of advancing human rights, and human rights missions to be undertaken as China embarks on a new journey in the new era. It embodied the CPC’s political awareness and historical initiative in leading the people to a better life, and delivered the political declaration of the CPC to make unswerving efforts to respect and protect human rights in the new era. Jiang Jianguo expressed that we should uphold the leadership of the CPC, give full play to the Party’s central role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating work in all sectors, harness the strengths of China’s socialist system, and provide a strong political and institutional guarantee for advancing human rights in China. 

 

The participants regarded the leadership of the CPC as the political advantage of the Chinese path of human rights development and stated the need to gain a clear idea of the authoritative guidance of the 20th CPC National Congress on the Chinese path of human rights development. Fu Yun, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and director of the Information Office of the Jiangxi Provincial Government, stressed that the leadership of the Party was the fundamental guarantee for ensuring human rights development in China. It is necessary to maintain the correct political orientation, comprehensively strengthen the Party’s leadership, and ensure that China’s human rights undertaking is always on track. Fu Zitang, vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies and president of the Southwest University of Political Science & Law, pointed out that from the perspective of protecting human rights, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress delivered by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is a document guiding us to advance the human rights cause in an all-round way, providing a fundamental guideline for making new progress in human rights as China embarks on a new journey in the new era. In short, upholding the leadership of the CPC and staying committed to the Chinese path of human rights development is an objective truth repeatedly proven in modern times, a fundamental guarantee for the Party to lead the people to victory, and a fundamental guarantee for the Chinese nation to become prosperous and strong and for the Chinese people to live a better life. 

 

 

In light of China’s reality, the Chinese Communists have always put the people center stage, pursued the human rights concept of putting the people first, and regarded the right to subsistence and development as the paramount basic human rights. The CPC pursues human rights concepts based on national conditions that embody the characteristics of the times in China and the spirit of innovation, and has pioneered a path of human rights development suited to China’s national conditions. President Baima Chilin said that we should make overall plans to achieve progress in economic development, democracy and rule of law, ideology and culture, equity and justice, etc. in a people-centered manner, focus on the people’s expectations for a better life, and meet the people’s growing demand for rights in multiple areas. Jiang Jianguo said that putting the people first is the soul and guiding principle of the contemporary Chinese view on human rights. We must always ensure the principal status of the people, always put the people’s interests center stage, and realize, uphold, and promote their fundamental interests. Lu Guangjin, vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies and a professor at the Human Rights Institute of Jilin University, said that achieving the all-round development of humans based on Marxism is the supreme goal of human rights and is also the highest ideal pursued by the CPC for the full development of human rights. The Chinese Communists, represented by General Secretary Xi Jinping, advanced a slew of new categories, concepts, and expressions on human rights, laying the theoretical groundwork for a successful Chinese path of human rights development. 

 

Over 40 years of reform and opening-up, the Chinese people have realized the historic leap from poverty to secure access to food and clothing, to a decent life, and finally to moderate prosperity. Under the leadership of the CPC, more and more Chinese people are marching toward a new era of a better life. The CPC has blazed a proven path of human rights development that has yielded remarkable results. Ma Huaide, vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies and president of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), said that we should always regard the realization of the people’s aspirations for a better life as the purpose of modernization, maintain the thinking of people-centered development, and protect and promote social fairness and justice according to law. Gong Xianghe, executive director of the Institute of Human Rights Studies of Southeast University, explored the Chinese path of human rights development from the perspective of economic development, saying that in the course of economic development, we should respect and protect human rights, maintain the thinking of “people-centered” development, and adhere to the principle of development for the people, by the people and to the benefit of the people. He pointed out that the CPC regards a better life for the people as a key part of human rights and has blazed a path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics that advances democracy through a better life for the people. 

 

 

Since its founding, the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of the CPC, has gradually established a socialist political system with Chinese characteristics, providing a solid institutional guarantee for human rights development in China. Lu Guangjin said that in terms of the leadership system and institutions for human rights, we must uphold the leadership of the CPC and the socialist system. The Chinese path of human rights development is characterized by the leadership of the CPC and the socialist system. The socialist system is the fundamental institutional basis for human rights in China, and is fundamental for the Chinese path of human rights development. Cui Xiaotao, associate professor of the Institute of International Strategy of the China Institute of International Studies, noted that the unique advantages of the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics lie in the socialist path of making political advancement with Chinese characteristics. By virtue of its political system, China can swiftly concentrate on the major conflicts facing the development of human rights and embark on a path of human rights development suited to its national conditions, and therein lies the tremendous advantages of China’s political system. 

 

The participants agreed that the socialist political system with Chinese characteristics is the institutional guarantee for the steady and healthy development of human rights in China, and is also a silver bullet for a successful Chinese path of human rights development. Qi Yanping, director of the Research Center for Science, Technology and Human Rights at the Beijing Institute of Technology, pointed out that the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC is underpinned by the political guidance mechanism of a mission-oriented political party, the government’s coordinated promotion mechanism, the active promotion mechanism of society, and the guarantee and relief mechanism based on constitution and jurisprudence. Mao Junxiang, executive director of the Human Rights Center of Central South University, said that General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically summarized the generative logic, essence, characteristic experience, and political attributes of the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics, encapsulated the basic characteristics of the Chinese path of human rights development in the new era, and revealed China’s contemporary experience in advancing human rights. It is the “institutional secret” to the understanding of state governance in today’s China. 

 

 

Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded and thrive. As the basic background of the Chinese path of human rights development, the Marxist theory of human rights provides nourishment and theoretical source for the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress raised the major judgment of “A New Frontier in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times” and advanced new topics and new ideas for advancing China’s human rights cause in an all-round way. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times is a process of seeking, revealing, and applying truth. He made a scientific summary of the Party’s theoretical innovations and fresh experiences since the 18th CPC National Congress, pointing out the way forward for making theoretical innovations on the basis of practice as China embarks on a new journey in the new era. The participants said that we should fully understand the spirit and connotation of the important judgment of “adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times,” proceed from the reality of human rights in China, distill new ideas and new theories embodying the Chinese theory of human rights, and make new progress in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. 

 

 

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress said,“At the fundamental level, we owe the success of our Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics to the fact that Marxism works, particularly when it is adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times.” The Marxist outlook on human rights is the theoretical basis and cornerstone for China’s understanding and observation of human rights issues. The Marxist concept of human rights adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times focuses on the momentous global changes of a scale unseen in a century from the perspective of history in terms of theory and the room for development, providing new ideas and academic horizons for becoming a great modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Baima Chilin said that the 20th CPC National Congress effectively combined political foresight, profound theoretical thinking, the setting of scientific goals, and strategic planning.We should rally closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, gain a deeper insight into Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, Chinese modernization, etc., fully comprehend the historical, theoretical, and practical logic of the 20th CPC National Congress concerning the major principles and policy as well as strategic plans for the cause of the Party and the country, understand the great significance of further adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and increase our initiative to pursue and our confidence in the Chinese path of human rights development. 

 

In essence, adapting the Marxist concept of human rights to the Chinese context and the needs of our times shows why the path of socialist human rights with Chinese characteristics works based on the questions posed by China’s development, the global changes, the people and the times. It is essentially attributed to the effective practice of adapting the Marxist concept of human rights to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. Professor Han Qingxiang, a former member of the School Committee of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said that in the speech addressing a ceremony celebrating the CPC centenary, General Secretary Xi Jinping declared for the first time the major judgment that Marxism works. For the first time, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated that both adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times work in China, providing a more profound and concrete answer to the effectiveness of Marxism, and raises the bar for the understanding of the effectiveness of Marxism. It adds a new dimension to the new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Qing Lixin, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, believed that it was necessary to publicize the Marxist concept of human rights, incorporate education on the Marxist concept of human rights and the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights into the national education system, and make it clear that putting the people first is the core concept of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights, the right to subsistence and development is the primary basic human rights, and law-based protection of human rights is a key part of law-based state governance, so that the Marxist concept of human rights takes root among the people. Yang Bochao, a lecturer at the Institute for Human Rights, the China University of Political Science and Law, said that it was necessary to bring diversity to and develop the Marxist concept of human rights, adapt the Marxist concept of human rights to the Chinese context, and awaken and transform the human rights factors in traditional Chinese culture, thereby opening up a path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics that conforms to practical logic and solves practical problems. 

 

 

The contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights, which is grounded on China’s national conditions and aims to protect the human rights of the Chinese people, is the result of the combination of China’s opportunities in modern times, the excellent traditional Chinese culture, the socialist principle of equality, the Marxist concept of human rights, and China’s modernization. Baima Chilin said that as we promote China’s human rights endeavors, we have combined the Marxist concept of human rights with China’s reality and China’s fine traditional culture, summarized the Party’s successful experience in leading the people in respecting and protecting human rights, drawn on the outstanding achievements of human advancement, and blazed a trail of human rights development in line with the times and the national conditions. Jiang Jianguo said that judging from the background of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights, it combines the successful experience of adapting the Marxist concept of human rights to the Chinese context and China’s human rights cause. China upholds the basic stance, views, and methods of the Marxist concept of human rights, combines it with China’s social and political context as well as the stage of historical development, focuses on addressing practical problems in reform, opening up, and socialist modernization in the new era, and offers practical experience for the emergence of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. 

 

China has always upheld the principal status of the people and continuously promoted the all-round development of the people, which shows the continuation and development of Marxist doctrines and theories and embodies the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times in the field of human rights. After comparing the strengths and weaknesses of Chinese and Western concepts of human rights, Liu Weidong, a researcher at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the people-centered nature is the essential attribute of Marxism, and that under the Chinese perspective of human rights, the Party and government have always put the people’s needs first, and taken account of the people’s yearning and needs when formulating the basic national policy and diplomatic policy and overall planning for economic development. Upholding the people-centered nature is the basic criterion for China’s human rights cause, and is the source of the unique advantages of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights through practical achievements. Xu Shuang, an associate professor at the Minzu University of China, said that from China’s perspective of human rights, Marx’s critique of human rights and China’s traditional ideas of people-centeredness and civil rights have provided rich ideological resources for the emergence and establishment of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. Li Chaoqun, an associate professor at the Southwest University of Political Science & Law, said that Marxism focuses on the practical and social nature of the people and that the contemporary Chinese people-centered perspective of human rights is a continuation of and innovation in the classic Marxist theory of human nature and the concept of the people. Based on the reality of contemporary Chinese society, the Chinese concept proceeds from the fundamental and practical attributes of the people, and describes the people’s principal image and status.

 

 

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress expounded on the scientific connotations and basic traits of Chinese modernization, put forward advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, and provided a key orientation for building a great modern socialist country in all respects and creating a new form of human advancement in China. Chinese modernization results from the development of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics by the 20th CPC National Congress and is an objective judgment based on China’s national conditions. We should fully and correctly comprehend the connotations of human rights embodied in Chinese modernization, sort out its continuation and development, and create a new frontier and form for the practice of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. 

 

 

The participants agreed that we should fully understand the intrinsic relationship between the contemporary Chinese concept of human rights and the new form of human advancement, and gain a correct understanding of the essential characteristics of the new form of human advancement, which is a new-type civilization system comprising socialist economic, political, cultural, social, and eco-environmental progress with Chinese characteristics. Jiang Jianguo said that the concepts, paths, systems, and practices embodied in the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights result in a new form of human rights civilization and new progress in human rights civilization. Fu Zitang stressed that with regard to the protection of human rights, the Chinese path of human rights has led to a new form of human rights civilization. Wang Dong, executive director of Peking University’s Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding, pointed out that the concept and practice of human rights with Chinese characteristics in the new era fully reflects the harmony between self and others, individuals and people, spirit and materials, man and nature, and China and the world. It is the core connotation of the latest investigation of Chinese modernization, and an important embodiment of China’s contribution to mankind in the form of a new form of civilization. Zhu Linfang, an associate professor at the Human Rights Institute of the Southwest University of Political Science & Law, said that the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights makes original contributions in the form of not only advancing new concepts and views, but also creating a world outlook on human rights and human rights methodology of revolutionary significance, writing a new chapter in human rights civilization, developing a new form of human advancement, and respecting and protecting human rights. Hua Guoyu, an associate professor at the Law School of the People’s Public Security University of China, said that the logic of the development of human rights in China shows that there are no limits to human rights practice, there is no end to theoretical innovation in human rights, and there is no cut-and-dried model of human rights. The human rights practices in China have resulted in a new form of human rights civilization in line with China’s reality and different from the Western form.

 

 

Chinese modernization embodies profound thinking of human rights and highlights the new form of human rights civilization with Chinese characteristics. In the course of Chinese modernization, the Chinese path of human rights development, which is based on the practical problems facing China and the world, interprets the Chinese stand and views on human rights, embodies China’s excellent civilization and advanced theories, and pioneers a new form of human rights civilization in China. Lu Guangjin said that there should be all-round development and protection of economic, social, cultural, and other rights in the human rights spectrum of Chinese modernization. In terms of development, China has maintained attaching equal importance to both material and spiritual civilization, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, ensuring harmony between man and nature, developing whole-process people’s democracy, strengthening the legal protection for human rights, worked hard to promote social fairness and justice, and realized the all-round development of human rights. While pursuing Chinese modernization, China has created a new form of human advancement and a new form of Chinese human rights civilization. Li Xiao, a first-class inspector of the Research Office of the Supreme People’s Court and a senior judge, said that Chinese modernization embodies the basic concept of the all-round development of China’s human rights cause. Chinese modernization dovetails with the orientation and requirements for the all-round development of China’s human rights cause. A path for the all-round development of China’s human rights cause has been built based on domestic and international dimensions. Professor Qian Jinyu, executive deputy director of the Human Rights Research Center of the Northwest University of Political Science and Law, held that the orientation of Chinese modernization is a new form of civilization that demonstrates Chinese characteristics, and that the Chinese form of civilization necessitates a path of human rights development that manifests Chinese characteristics for Chinese modernization. 

 

 

Chinese modernization offers a new guarantee for human rights and the rule of law, and raises the bar for the building of a law-based Chinese society respecting human rights. The legal protection for human rights in the course of modernization is a key part of modernizing the state governance system and capacity, an important measure for raising the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security, and an inevitable requirement for and the purpose of building a modern socialist country in all respects and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The participants agreed that the rule of law is the most effective guarantee for human rights and is also a key embodiment of the connotations of Chinese modernization. Lu Guangjin said that a new jurisprudence on human rights in the new era formed in the Chinese modernization drive accords with the law governing the development of human society, and that observing human rights is a scientific logic of historical development, is a historic improvement to traditional jurisprudence on human rights, and is in line with building a modern socialist country. Ma Huaide believed that the mission and tasks of the new journey in the new era require a concerted effort to “solve prominent problems in the field of rule of law that the people are highly concerned about,” systematic study and planning of practical plans for strengthening the legal protection of human rights, and active participation in global human rights governance. Liu Xuebin, an associate professor at the Law School of Jilin University, shared ideas on how to respect and protect the human rights development path in whole-process people’s democracy in the field of rule of law, and promote the legal protection of human rights in the process of modernization from the perspective of the legal protection of human rights. 

 

 

“To better tell China’s stories, make China’s voice heard, and present a view of China that is credible, appealing, and respectable” is a major task set forth in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. The participants said that to tell the stories of China, we must tell true stories about China’s human rights. To tell true stories of China’s human rights, we should maintain a foothold in China and take a global view, adopt an international way of thinking to diffuse China’s views on human rights, build a discourse system for China’s human rights, pool the positive energy of China’s human rights, and present a view of China’s human rights that is credible, appealing, and respectable. This is not only the world’s expectation for China, but also the firm pursuit of China in its human rights undertaking. 

 

 

To tell true stories about China’s human rights in the new era, we should base ourselves on our work and posts, and harness academic discourse to tell true stories of the CPC and government of respecting, protecting, and advancing human rights in the new era. The participants said that in order to shape and diffuse the stories of China’s human rights in the new era, we should always uphold the leadership of the CPC, keep to the right path, and make innovations, take a global view, help the world gain a real understanding of China, the CPC, and the Chinese perspective of human rights, and promote our confidence in and the strength of the theory of human rights with Chinese characteristics. Baima Chilin said that we should focus on the major judgments, policies and decisions of the 20th CPC National Congress, increase support for the study of human rights theory, keep abreast of international trends, keep China’s reality in sight, collect materials, discover new problems, raise new views, and advance new theories, thereby contributing to the subjectivity, creativity and competitiveness of the Chinese theory of human rights. Chen Qincan, an inspector of the PublicityDepartment of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, said that the CPC has performed a great miracle in respecting and protecting human rights and written a new chapter in the human rights civilization since it came to power. Therefore, we should take the initiative to make public the progress of China’s human rights cause, tell the stories of the CPC’s tireless efforts to seek happiness for the people, strive to realize active guidance for China’s human rights discourse instead of passive response, broaden channels of media communication, and make communication more effective. Song Jiangtao, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and director of the Information Office of the Qinghai Provincial Government, said that in diffusing China’s perspective of human rights, we must take the strategic initiative, tell the stories of China’s human rights in a visual and concrete manner, and make the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights more appealing, attractive and influential. Based on his experience of working in Britain, India, and other countries, Kong Linlin, a reporter at the China Media Group, said that Western countries are skillful in telling repetitive lies and using the special background of the times and society to engage in disinformation warfare, and that Chinese media organizations and journalists should take the initiative to publicize China’s human rights in the West’s anti-China disinformation war, debunk the West’s groundless accusations against China, and step up the counterattack through public opinion.

 

 

To make the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights more influential and appealing, we should make the world aware of the CPC’s global vision and mission of seeking the common good for the world, the CPC’s firm conviction and determination to lead the Chinese people in realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and China’s great contributions to the world human rights, and show the world the Chinese perspective of human rights in the new era. The participants said that to show China’s tremendous achievements in human rights to the world, we must proceed from the perspective of national rejuvenation and the changes of a scale unseen in a century, and really and truly make the world aware of the power of ideology, truth, appeal, and practice embodied in the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. Qing Lixin stressed that we should study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, maintain the stand of Chinese culture, take the strategic initiative, present a realistic view of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights, tell true stories about China’s efforts to promote development and protect people’s wellbeing, publicize China’s contribution to global human rights governance, thus contributing to China’s human rights cause. He Yunjiang, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee and director of the Information Office of the Guizhou Provincial Government, cited by way of example the story of Guizhou Province, a province with the largest number of poor people and the largest degree of poverty, lifting nearly 10 million people out of poverty under the leadership of the CPC. He said that the miracle of poverty reduction in Guizhou is an unparallel feat in the human history of poverty reduction and is a vivid interpretation of China’s contemporary perspective of human rights. Professor Liang Yuchun, executive vice president of Xinjiang-related Issues Research Institute of Xinjiang Normal University, said that over the past 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xinjiang has implemented the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights and made historic progress in Xinjiang’s human rights cause, demonstrating the power of truth, the strength of practice, and the appeal of the contemporary Chinese perspective of human rights. 

 

 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Central Committee of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to international communication, emphasized more efforts to build Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, tell China stories, make China’s voice heard, and raise China’s influence on the world stage. The participants agreed that to build a discourse system of human rights with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to strengthen top-level planning and research layout, and shape a new image and a new look of China’s human rights from an international and cross-cultural perspective. Chen Qincan said that in order to boost the strategic communication capacity of China’s human rights discourse system in the new era, it is necessary to enter into targeted and effective dialogues, make a success of activities such as “tour-based understanding of China”, and invite foreigners to feel, objectively evaluate, and take the initiative to diffuse the progress of China’s human rights cause. Shi Jiandong, an inspector of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that launching cultural exchanges and dialogues at different levels in different fields will help us tell stories about China, eliminate prejudices, and foster understanding and friendship. We should raise China’s soft power in culture and the influence of Chinese culture, and distill and showcase the traits and cultural essence of Chinese civilization. Scholars including Shi Anbin, director of the Israel Epstein Center for Global Media and Communication, Tsinghua University, and director of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said from the perspective of the protection of digital human rights we should promote the integrated development of digital human rights, optimize the ideas of cross-cultural communication of China’s human rights, build an international communication system for human rights, shape and convey China’s image in human rights in the new era, and raise the communication capacity of China’s human rights discourse. Li Hongbo, a professor at the School of Law-based Government, the China University of Political Science and Law, said that we should develop our own human rights discourse system in terms of “tapping traditional resources, summing up contemporary practice, drawing on foreign experience, and so on.” Li Chaoqun said that to ensure the long-term development of China’s human rights cause and showcase China’s achievements in human rights and the concept of human rights with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to build a human rights discourse system matching China’s human rights practice and to develop a scientific view on the subject of human rights, which is of vital importance in building a human rights discourse system. 

 

 

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress states that China played an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system, stood firm in protecting international fairness and justice, advocated and practiced true multilateralism, fostered a new type of international relations, and made tireless efforts to promote world peace and development. The participants said that China has long taken concrete actions to promote international human rights governance, put forward important concepts and many initiatives such as “a community with a shared future for mankind,” Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, and Global Security Initiative, made tremendous contributions to safeguarding international human rights, and offered Chinese solutions to the reform and innovation of global cooperative human rights governance, which have received positive response and recognition from the international community. 

 

 

A “community with a shared future for mankind” is a treasured vision for the future of mankind advanced by the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, demonstrating China’s firm conviction in safeguarding world peace and development. The concept of “a community with a shared future for mankind” contains the idea of the Chinese path of human rights development to seek common ground while removing differences, encouraging openness and inclusiveness, peaceful cooperation, and peace under heaven. It is a program and goal set by China to participate in global human rights governance. Professor Xiao Junyong, executive director of the Research Center for Science, Technology and Human Rights at the Beijing Institute of Technology, said that building a community with a shared future for mankind is China’s thinking and plan put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping with consideration to human development and the future of the world, and is the common goal of contrastive execution of the cooperative global human rights governance as advocated by China. This accords with the law of historical development of the world and is also recognized by all countries. Liu Hainian, an adviser to the China Society for Human Rights Studies and an honorary fellow member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said thatin the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, Comrade Xi Jinping again stressed, “Promoting World Peace and Development and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” which is the theoretical result proven by practice and theory, and is of strong practical significance and propound historical significance for the world human rights cause. 

 

The participants said that the proposal of “a community with a shared future for mankind” is the best program for the development of human rights in the complex and volatile international landscape. Luo Yanhua, a professor at the School of International Studies of Peking University, said that the current global human rights governance is woefully inadequate, and issues such as regional conflicts and global poverty take their toll on global human rights governance. China proposed the idea of practicing true multilateralism, equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, win-win cooperation and common development, with a view to helping build a global human rights governance order conducive to peace, development, democracy and freedom. Xiao Junyong said that no country can remain unaffected by the current global turmoil and change, and mankind is facing unprecedented difficulties in survival and development. In the face of myriad challenges, the “community with a shared future for mankind” put forward by China can help realize the goal of long-term prosperity, peace and stability for humanity to the greatest extent. Professor Zhang Aining, director of the Human Rights Research Center of China Foreign Affairs University, said that the world, the times, and history are undergoing changes never seen before, and the globe is again reaching the crossroads of history. The future lies in the choice made by the people of all countries. China has always upheld the foreign policy of safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, and has been committed to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. 

 

 

A new international situation has emerged, and global human rights have come under great challenges. Based on its basic national conditions, China has made many achievements in the international human rights cause such as in poverty alleviation, epidemic response and healthcare, disease prevention, disaster reduction, and so on. The participants said that China’s achievements in poverty reduction over the past few decades contributed over 70% to global poverty reduction, and the goal of poverty reduction under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was realized 10 years ahead of schedule. In the three-year fight against COVID-19, China fostered international cooperation and protected people’s right to life and health to the greatest extent. In terms of disease prevention and disaster mitigation, China has worked with all parties to promote the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, provided medical aid to 69 countries, and provided assistance to more than 120 developing countries. Miao Lyu, secretary-general of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), said that China is vigorously promoting progress in global human rights and the integration of China’s human rights program with the world’s human rights work. He noted that China has participated in the establishment of the “Center for Global Development and South-South Cooperation” and the “Third China-FAO Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation”, and also worked with all parties to build a cooperation network in agriculture, education, fight against the epidemic, and climate change, raising the bar for the development of human rights in China and the world. 

 

Experts said that the issue of food security has now became the focus in the field of international human rights, and China has put forward new ideas, new propositions and new initiatives for better governance of world food security affairs, and provided China’s strength for modernizing food security governance and ensuring world food security. Liu Chunhong, an associate professor at Yunnan University Law School, started by talking about protecting food security from the perspective of the right to food, saying that the structural conflict in the global food supply has intensified, and the number of people suffering from severe food insecurity has surged. In 2021, around 193 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels, and 47 countries were on the list of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs). From a political standpoint, it is a fact that far more people died of famine than wars in the 20th century despite the international community’s efforts to address food insecurity. China has built a firm all-round basis for food security, ensured the area of farmland remained above the redline of 120 million hectares, ensured a secure food supply for the Chinese people, and solved the problem of extreme poverty nationwide, which contributed to world food security. Chang Jian, director of the Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University, said that China actively participates in global human rights governance and shares China’s knowledge for establishing international concepts and norms of human rights, which will go toward distilling and improving the common values of mankind, and make the global governance system fairer and 

more equitable.